Pak channel ARY TV claimed that two champagne bottles which were reportedly mixed with poisonous substance was passed on to Woomer by the bowling coach.
KARACHI: In a sensational turn to Bob Woolmer's murder case, it was disclosed on Thursday that two champagne bottles were passed on to him by the team's bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, which may unravel the mystery of the poison-laced drink the Pakistani coach is believed to have had on the night he died.
The disclosure was made by the Pakistan team's media manager Pervez Mir who said that the team manager Talat Ali was a witness to the bottles being passed on to Woolmer in the team hotel in Jamaica about 7 weeks ago during the cricket World Cup.
The British media in recent days has reported that the Scotland Yard, with which the Jamaican Police has been in touch, suspects that a "killer weed" had been mixed with champagne taken by Woolmer in his hotel room before he was found dead on March 18.
Mushtaq, currently in England, said after Mir's statement that some persons of Pakistani origin based in England had left the two bottles in his hotel room and since he does not drink, Woolmer had picked them up four days before he was found dead.
Former leg spinner, Ahmed is an activist of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic religious outfit, and former skipper Inzamam-ul Haq had come under criticism for taking Ahmed as a bowling coach.
He said that he knew the people who had given him the bottles but would not go public with their names because they had families and would be unneccesarily tarnished.
Also read: Woolmer murder suspect could be named soon
"I am not not worried" by the disclosure, Mushtaq said, describing Woolmer as part of the family.
Mir's disclosure on Pakistani TV channel ARY came amid reports that a Jamaican Police team had left for London for high-level discussions with Scotland Yard after which a suspect is expected to be named soon.
Police believe that the burly Woolmer had been subdued with a killer weed before being strangled in the hotel room a day after Pakistan's shocking loss to Ireland.
Mir, who had been questioned by the Jamaican Police alongwith members of the Pakistani team before it was allowed to fly back home, said that he had not spoken to the police about the bottles.
However, he maintained that Ahmed would have given the bottles to Woolmer in "the best of spirit and as a matter of goodwill".
An eye-witness, who did not want to be named, said on Thursday night that the champagne bottles were not intentionally gifted by Ahmed to the late coach. Woolmer had come to Ahmed's room to inquire about a nose injury suffered by him during nets.
Spotting the two bottles Woolmer had inquired if he could take them to which Ahmed had said that he was welcome to do so. The then Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq and all-rounder Shahid Afridi were also present in the room, the eye-witness said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused to comment on Mir's statement saying that it had no official communication from the Jamaican authorities.
When contacted, Ali said that he could not understand all the speculation surrounding the case. "All I can say is that this is a police case and we all recorded our statements to the police in Jamaica. Saying anything on this issue will only add fuel to fire", he said.
Ali said that he was fed up with the efforts being made by a section of the media to link the Pakistani players and officials with Woolmer's death. "It is reprehensible", he added.
Ahmed said his guests from England had left the bottles in his room and Woolmer came to his room and asked him for them since he did not drink as he was a Muslim.
Mir said he did not know who the guests of Pakistani-origin were and he was not sure whether Ahmed knew them.
Replying to a question, Mir said journalists were stretching the issue too far.
He said the Jamaican Police did not question him on this issue.
Mir said he would go along with the version given by Ahmed.
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