The Day We Killed Bob Woolmer

“I’m preparing them for the uneven bounce” he said knocking a ball over what looked like a wavy aluminum roof top. On the other end stood an alert Jonty Rhodes who fielded a bouncy white Kookuburra and threw it back to Bob Woolmer’s awaiting baseball mitt. “See... you kids should practice on this too when I’m done”. The year was 1997, South Africa’s tour to Pakistan, the location; Jinnah Gardens, Lahore. I was 17 then and played my cricket with the Lahore Gymkhana team. The South Africans were using the facilities and preparing for their tour. It was the first time I had seen such calculation and preparation in cricket. I was curious to know how an aluminum, bumpy, tin roof would help improve someone’s fielding.

I followed this large man around the field to learn some tricks of the trade. He stood behind a young wicketkeeper by the name of Mark Boucher and hit a tennis ball directly at him. Boucher had to turn around and anticipate the ball. As I saw him mold and chisel away at his mound of clay, I realized that he had a different molding technique for each player. His laptop was infamous at the time as he was the only coach who had it. Woolmer had changed the way people played and prepared for the game. I thought to myself, this guy could do wonders if he was the Pakistan coach.

Years later, I was thrilled to know Woolmer was appointed the Pakistan coach. Knowing that he could easily mold what seemed like top quality clay into fascinating sculptures. But Pakistan needed an autocratic discipliner as well as a tactician: Inzimam was neither. I recalled the days of Imran Khan when I watched the matches at Sharjah and heard that he used to lock up the boys after a certain time and treat them like inmates. Anyone caught violating team rules was punished heavily… or sent to the hole!

The Pakistan team is different from most other teams. Australia, New Zealand, England, and even India to some extent have their cricketers rise up through academies and schools before they enter first class cricket. Following which when they arrive at the international arena, they are disciplined professionals because at the end of the day… it is a job. Imran knew ho to handle various personalities including a young and social Wasim Akram, Waqar, Ijaz Ahmed, etc. Watching a 21 year old Inzimam batting in the nets to Waqar without a helmet in 1991, he declared that he would become the greatest Pakistani batsman and to the surprise of Miandad, who wrote him off early, he did. Discipline was Pakistan’s problem and will be for years to come. The fact that the majority of the team has never had a complete education (academic or otherwise) explains their erratic behavior. With discipline comes composure. And with composure, you don’t chase wild deliveries outside off when your side is struggling to put up a total! With that said, Bob Woolmer could not be blamed wholly for Pakistan’s demise.

Just to point out an example of discipline, Damien Martyn was dropped from the Australian side in 1993 for playing a rash shot when his side was in trouble against New Zealand. He didn’t taste international success for years until he made a comeback. Given that statement, besides a couple, no Pakistani batsmen would be able to survive the first class arena in Australia with the attitude they have. Watching our batsmen playing Irish bowlers as if they were Lillee or Hadlee was extremely painful.

What Bob did bring to Pakistan was a sense of teamwork. He united what seemed like a bunch of ruffians. It reminded me of a Hollywood movie where Sidney Poitier tames a group of cynical students. Looking at all he has done one can see his achievements. After he was handed a team of individuals, he transformed Younis Khan into an international run-machine and fielder, helped Yusuf achieve an un-fathomable milestone, developed an opener in Salman Butt (only to find him dropped by the selectors), gave Afridi the confidence to make a permanent place in the team, drew a tough series in India, won the one day series in India, destroy England at home, level a Windies series, and demolish a strong Sri-Lankan side in their own backyard. With the team he was given… I believe these are monumental achievements.

But he had obstacles in his way. The language barrier must have been painful. The group’s religious fervor and influence from the Raiwind extremists must have struck a nerve. The constant struggle to domesticate a wild Shoaib Akhtar had to have raised his blood pressure. The constant conspiracies of ball tampering, cheating, dope trials, and struggles with the inept PCB. All externalities which might not have come with the job had he coached England or Australia. Yes… it is true, we killed Bob Woolmer. Pakistani cricket is to blame for the demise of one of the most influential personalities of the sport. I along with many believe he was poisoned. Why else would one be lying in a pool of their own vomit and blood. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out heart attacks don’t cause vomitting. Nevertheless that is a whole other can of worms and the game will go on and Pakistan will forget Bob as soon as the next coach steps in. There will be irregularity all over again. Pakistan and the Pakistani people will forever be indebted to Bob Woolmer. “It’s bumpy” he said, “the tin roof. It will help him wait for the ball and cover up when fielding in the outfield”.