'5 Pak bookies were in Jamaica when Woolmer died'

LONDON: Former Pakistan paceman Sarfraz Nawaz, prone to making sensational statements, has now claimed that five Pakistani bookies were in Jamaica when coach Bob Woolmer was killed.

Sarfraz insisted that Woolmer's murder in a Kingston hotel on March 18 was linked to match fixing and the former player also offered his help to track the gang of bookies.

"I know five bookies made their way to the West Indies. I can help trace them. Perhaps we can even get some clues from the players," Sarfraz told 'The Sun', adding "Woolmers death is connected with the match-fixing mafia."

The 59-year-old former pacer alleged that Pakistan's matches in the World Cup were rigged.

"I believe the Pakistan World Cup games were fixed. There is a dark side to cricket. The game got on top of it for a while but it has never really been stamped out," he said.

Pakistan lost to minnows Ireland to be knocked out of the tournament barely hours before Woolmer's murder.

Sarfraz also went on to describe how the murky system of match fixing worked.

"They operate through hotels, restaurants, bars and so on. They have agents who will take a bet on a match from you. The money starts from a few hundred to millions. They can be very violent. Look how they killed Woolmer," he said.

He also reiterated that Woolmer's planned book would have blown the whistle on match fixing, even though co-author Ivo Tennant disputed the claim.