A pioneer of coaching methods

Bob Woolmer © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Bob Woolmer played in 19 Test matches for England between 1975 and 1981 but it was in his ensuing career as a coach to South Africa and later Pakistan that the former Kent all-rounder made his name.

Woolmer, who has died aged 58, was regarded as a modern and forward-thinking coach, and championed as a man who remained true to his ideal of playing the game in an exciting and expansive way.

When he was appointed as Pakistan coach in succession to Javed Miandad in June 2004, only the second non-Pakistani national to be given the job, he was described by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan as a “pioneer”.

Khan said that Woolmer had been given the job due to his “advanced technological methods,” adding: “It was not easy to get a coach of Woolmer’s status, who is a pioneer and highly respected.”

© Getty Images

Woolmer was no stranger to the sub-continent, having been born in Uttar Pradesh, India in 1948 before joining Kent and ultimately being called up by England for the first time to face Australia at Lord’s in 1975.

Woolmer was considered a relatively moderate Test performer but his international career stalled when he ill-advisedly signed up for Kerry Packer’s rival World Series Cricket in 1977.

After joining the rebel tour to South Africa four years later, Woolmer’s Test career was effectively over, and it was then that he put his passion for the game to better use by starting his career as a coach.

Despite his success, controversy was not shy in attaching itself to Woolmer’s teams, most notably in the ball-tampering row which afflicted Pakistan’s tour of England in 2006 and led to the abandonment of the fourth Test at The Oval.

In the furore that followed, former ICC match referee Barry Jarman made belated claims concerning allegations of ball-tampering by South African bowlers during Woolmer’s tenure in charge of the Proteas.

A clearly bewildered Woolmer responded bluntly: “I just cannot, and do not, understand why Barry Jarman has said this. As far as I am concerned, it’s fiction. What does he think, that I teach ball-tampering?”

© Getty Images

Buy this photo

As Pakistan continued to under-perform, Woolmer’s reign was further tainted by the doping controversy surrounding Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who were sentenced to lengthy bans - later quashed after appeal - after testing positive for nandrolone. The World Anti-Doping Agency were unhappy with the decision to lift the bans and looked to lodge a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The various controversies clearly did little to distract from Woolmer’s status within the coaching fraternity. During England’s ailing Ashes defence, he was often named as a possible successor to Duncan Fletcher.

Woolmer, who was believed to have narrowly missed out to Fletcher for the England job eight years previously, was due to finish his Pakistan contract this year with no discussions having taken place over a possible extension.

Of the England link, Woolmer said: “I want to finish the World Cup, hopefully guide Pakistan to success there, before I start thinking about anything else. Nothing will happen until after the World Cup.”

Ironically, Woolmer may have had a degree of influence over his darkest day as Pakistan coach. Prior to taking the job, he was involved with the ICC’s High Performance Programme, aimed at improving the game in associate nations such as Ireland.

Always a keen advocate of change, Woolmer maintained his dignity in the wake of Pakistan’s shock defeat to the Irish: “I’m fully in favour of 16 teams,” he said. “I think you can say that March 17 2007, will be an historic day for world cricket.”