Ross Sheil and Daraine Luton, Staff Reporters

The death of Pakistan cricket team's coach Bob Woolmer overshadowed the Cricket World Cup 2007. - Photo by Ross Sheil

The photograph says it all. It is Tuesday, April 24, the semi-final between Sri-Lanka and New Zealand and the last day of the Cricket World Cup 2007 for Jamaica. Finally, it's over! But even on the this day, the death of Bob Woolmer overshadowed events on the field.

The day before the Sabina Park semi-final between Sri-Lanka and New Zealand, authorities announced their decision to cancel the coroner's inquest and allow thebody of the 58-year-old Pakistan coach to be repatriated to his family in Cape Town, South Africa. Many in Jamaica breathed a sigh of relief.

"We have endured enough," commented one young attorney.

And it was not because the tournament has not been a good one or due to the West Indies' disappointing showing. It simply could not escape the investigation into the death of the Indian-born former English Test batsman and the massive international interest in its slow-paced progress.

The tournament had begun brightly at the Trelawny multi-purpose sta-dium with a colourful opening ceremony, but before it had reached the middle, depression had set in. Having lost to the West Indies in the tournament's opener on March 13, Pakistan had a St. Patrick's Day meeting with minnows Ireland four days later. The Irish pulled off a three-wicket win in a thriller and Pakistan were out of the tournament.

But the next day, those same Irish, some who had cavorted around Sabina in leprechaun suits, were silenced by the news that Woolmer had been found dead in his room at the Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. Days later, police announced that it was murder.

caribbean overshadowed

Malcolm Speed, the CEO of governing body the International Cricket Council (ICC), has said that the Caribbean's hosting of the tournament will remain overshadowed by the case. "It is too early to predict how history will view the tournament, but certainly, Bob Woolmer's tragic death and the finish to the final are two of the things that will be the uppermost in the minds of people who followed the event," Speed reflected after the 47-day tournament ended with the final in Barbados on April 28.

Brian Murgatroyd, ICC media and communications manager, also admits that the Woolmer shadow will be one of the ways the tournament will be remembered.

"Bob's death was more than a tragedy. It is impossible to think of this tournament without thinking of Bob; but at the same time there has been some excellent cricket and plenty to commend the Caribbean for,"Murgatroyd told The Sunday Gleaner.

Rotten luck is the view of most Jamaicans and more bad news could come, were police to confirm reported leaks that they had been wrong and that it was in fact a natural death.

"It was unfortunate for Jamaica for this man to come so far and die here," mused 23-year-old University of the West Indies student Damani Thomas.

With Jamaica's murder rate again on the rise, it was the death of this significant foreigner that stood out.

"Jamaica was making headway against its murderous reputation before the strangulation of Pakistani cricket coach Bob Woolmer further tarnished the image of the Caribbean tourist playground," reported Reuters news agency.

But, said Kingston taxi driver Orvin Brown, 36, security at the tournament was overwhelmingly successful, with no other reported breaches. Besides, said Mr. Brown: "The issue is totally different, maybe if it was a corruption thing, but it don't hurt the image of Jamaica. If anything, it bring more advertising and publicity - the whole mystery of it. You nah hear them say 'No publicity is bad publicity?'"

coverage like a hurricane

Media coverage of the case swarmed over the island like a hurricane. Local journalists found themselves fielding calls from even American counterparts anxious to learn not just about the case but also, the rules of cricket.

Walking down central London's busy Oxford Street, the newspapers were advertising only one thing about Jamaica: 'Woolmer latest'. The only other representation of the island was infrequent, Appleton and Sandals livery covering a number of black cabs, rum and beaches, two things for which the Caribbean would rather be known.

ross.sheil@gleanerjm.comdaraine.luton@gleanerjm.com