Murder shocks World Cup cricketers

 

Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the International Cricket Council, said he was shocked that the death was being investigated as murder and called for the World Cup to continue in his memory.

 

Dickie Bird, former umpire

“There’s a real dark shadow over the World Cup but I think that Bob would have wanted it to carry on.”

“When we first learnt of Bob’s death a wave of sadness washed over the whole of the cricket community,” Speed said.

 

Speed said the tournament will continue to “demonstrate that cricket cannot be put off by a cowardly criminal act”.

 

Harold “Dickie” Bird, a retired English test umpire, told BBC News that Woolmer’s death would overshadow the World Cup.

 

“There’s a real dark shadow over the World Cup,” he said. But, “I think Bob would have wanted it to carry on.”

 

“I’m absolutely stunned,” Bird said. “He was such a charming man, a wonderful man. This is a very, very sad day for world cricket.”

 

Team captain Inzamam-ul-Haq announced his resignation and retirement from one-day cricket after Woolmer’s death.

 

After leading Pakistan to an emotional victory against Zimbabwe on Wednesday, he said: “He’s not in this world now and every Pakistani and every cricket lover is sad.”