Musharraf, Aziz condole Woolmer's 'tragic' death

Islamabad, Mar 19 (UNI) Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz today paid rich tributes to national cricket coach Bob Woolmer, who died in Jamaica a day after minnows Ireland knocked the former champions out of the World Cup.

In their messages to Woolmer's family, President Musharraf and Prime Minister Aziz described the demise as "tragic".

''Bob Woolmer had promoted the cause and game of cricket in Pakistan with dedication and single mindedness,'' they said, adding that his services to the game will be remembered for a long time.

Messages by the President and Prime Minister came at the backdrop of Inzimam-ul-Haq's announcement to step down as the captain and retire from the one day cricket.

Meanwhile, team's media manager P J Mir said in Kingston that the team will face Zimbabwe as scheduled on Wednesday.

Top Pakistani cricketers were also equally shocked to learn about Woolmer's death, which many believed was caused by mental tension that he suffered after the humiliating defeat.

Woolmer had been under sharp criticism for quite some time for what majority of former Pakistani test cricketers called his ''weak credentials''.

Former coach and captain of Pakistan cricket team Javed Miandad and ex-allrounder captail Imran Khan often publicly questioned Woolmer's capability to groom young boys for international cricketing and called for appointment of a local coach.

But most of the players including Aamir Sohail, Danish Kaneria and Shahid Afridi were grieved over Woolmer's death.

Private Pakistani TV channels quoted them terming Woolmer's death as a ''big loss'' for the team.

UNI