THE local police yesterday refused to confirm or deny that the late Pakistan cricket coach, Bob Woolmer, was murdered, after reports emerged in the morning that the former England Test player had died as a result of strangulation.

A source close to the Observer said Woolmer’s body had marks on the throat and that bones in the lower part of his face were broken. But in a release issued to the media, the police said they were not in possession of the pathologist’s findings and would not confirm the allegations.

The release stated that they were seeking outside help to come to a conclusive finding about Woolmer’s death.

“Following consultations today, involving representatives from the Government of Jamaica and the police, a decision was taken to seek the opinion of a second pathologist,” the release stated.

The police also reported that they were offering the governments of South Africa, England and Pakistan options of appointing liaison officers to monitor the progress of the probe into Woolmer’s death.

Yesterday, homicide investigators were busy searching Woolmer’s room on the 12th floor of the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in a bid to unearth further clues. Police also reviewed the hotel’s CCTV footage of activity in the corridors on floors occupied by guests, but did not release any information.

On Tuesday, police first reported that post mortem results were inconclusive, but later changed their tune and announced at an umpteenth hour press conference that they had enough evidence to treat Woolmer’s death as ‘suspicious’.

Yesterday, while a horde of journalists camped out in the lobby of the hotel, police officers made several trips between the ill-fated floor and the Alexander Bustamante suite on the ground floor. Efforts to get an update on the progress of their investigations proved futile. The search of the 12th floor room went on for most of yesterday.

Chief investigating officer in the high-profile case, deputy superintendent Colin Pinnock, was tight-lipped and refused to answer any questions.

“I don’t know when I can tell you anything,” Pinnock told reporters before flashing a smile and disappearing

into the Alexander Bustamante suite.

Later in the evening, Assistant Commissioner of police, Owen Ellington, chairman of local security for the Cricket World Cup and a delegate to the ICC Security Directorate, also refused to comment.

“I am here to visit officers on duty, not to speak to the media,” Ellington told a group of reporters.

Yesterday, reports surfaced from India that gambling was behind the well-loved cricket coach’s death.

The website, the timesofIndia.com quoted Sarfraz Nawaz, a former Pakistani pace bowler, as blaming Woolmer’s demise on the gambling mafia in the Asian subcontinent.

The report quoted Nawaz as naming International Cricket Council officials, Pakistani players and officials as being deeply entrenched in match-fixing.

But Pakistani media manager Pervez Mir threw cold water on the allegations when he arrived at the hotel after Pakistan’s crushing win over Zimbabwe yesterday.

“Allegations are always baseless. Prove it,” Mir said.

Mir refused to comment on reports that Woolmer was killed. He told reporters that he had not been officially informed by the local sleuths.

“There can be no comment until there is an official confirmation from the police,” Mir told reporters. He said the Pakistani team would be leaving Kingston for Montego Bay today and hoped that they could take Woolmer’s remains with them when the Pakistan delegation leaves the island on Saturday.

Woolmer was found lying face down in the bathroom of his hotel room by a housekeeper. There was vomit, blood and bodily waste in the bathroom. The woman reportedly tried to get in the bathroom, but was blocked by Woolmer’s body. The hotels medical team was called in and he was taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) where he was pronounced dead.

The woman has since been sent on leave by hotel management.

He died about 12:15 pm on Sunday, hours after his team crashed out of the Cricket World Cup, following a massive upset to minnows Ireland.

At a memorial held in his honour yesterday evening, the entire Pakistan team paid tribute to their fallen coach.

“Bob was a wonderful human being and a good soul and a father figure,” Mir said during the tributes.