Inzy was the first to advise the Board to take legal action against Jamaican police and this demand has been seconded by Modh Yousuf and some other players.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board is coming under increasing pressure to file for damages against the Jamaican police, once it is confirmed that Bob Woolmer died of natural causes and was not murdered during the World Cup in the West Indies.
Former captain Inzamam-ul Haq was the first to advise the Board to think about taking legal action against the Jamaican police authorities and this demand has now been seconded by senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and some other players.
The players, who are not supposed to speak to the media without clearance from the Board under a new gag policy, said they were treated like ordinary criminals by the Jamaican police after Woolmer died in a Kingston hospital on March 18, a day after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup following there loss at the hands of minnows Ireland.
"What the Board does is their decision but certainly the players want the Jamaican authorities to make a clear announcement on this issue soon and if it is confirmed our coach died of natural causes than the Board should consult its legal advisers," one player said on condition of anonymity.
Yousuf, who is in Chennai to play for the Asian XI against Africa, has already said he would like to see the Board file a claim for damages against the Jamaican police for tarnishing the image of Pakistani players and cricket.
Pervez Mir, who was a central figure in the Woolmer case and went to the World Cup as media manager of the team, also said that once it was confirmed that Woolmer died of natural causes, the Board should leave no stone unturned to give out a clear message to everyone they should be careful before pointing accusing fingers at Pakistan players.
"We have been saying all along that Woolmer was not murdered but the Jamaican police handled the case poorly and inefficiently. They were in a hurry to make everyone believe it was a high profile murder case," Mir said.
"And in the process so much suspicion was raised about the involvement of our team in Woolmer's death," Mir said.
He said once the Board took strong action in future the international media would also be careful before printing speculative stories about Pakistan cricket.
But PCB Chairman Naseem Ashraf, in Chennai, did not support the idea of a damages claim against the Jamaican police and insisted the detectives only did their job in questioning the Pakistan players and finger printing them and taking DNA tests.
But sources said with pressure mounting, many officials in the Board and even in the Pakistan government believe the Jamaican police and authorities must face a legal suit for their blunder.
Interestingly, Ashraf has admitted in an interview to an Indian newspaper that due to the mystery surrounding Woolmer's death some foreign coaches including Australian Steve Rixon had doubts about accepting a coaching assignment with the Pakistan team.
The Jamaican police have claimed they suspected Woolmer was murdered but senior officials from Scotland Yard reportedly believe the former Pakistan coach appeared to have died of natural causes and was not strangled as earlier announce.
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