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How will the Pakistan team react?

Swervy

International Captain
The very sad loss of Bob Woolmer may well have ramifications for other teams in this World Cup...namely Ireland and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan have to play against Zimb on Thursday (?). Given that they are already out of the tournament, and with the further emotional trauma of losing their coach so tragically, can Pakistan really be in a position to play a game of cricket effectivly in this World Cup.

I would really hope that they can show some fight vs Zimbabwe (totally understandable if they dont though).

An awful situation for the team I think.
 

jammay123

State 12th Man
theyll beet zim in honour of woolmer. but as i have said in another thread heads will roll after the world cup match
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Quite frankly I'd not give a stuff if the game was called-off, I think it'd be the decent thing to do... Christ, I'd not really give a stuff if the entire Cup was called-off TBH, it's not as if the thing's not going to be rather hollow from now on.

EDIT: I'm not saying I expect such a thing, just that if you'd told me yesterday I'd have been "WTF?" and if you told me now I'd be more "Oh, OK".
 
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Steulen

International Regular
Can't imagine a team playing a match 2 days after their coach has died..surely they'll forfeit?
 

haroon510

International 12th Man
i think pakistan would crash zim. they would be in fire and they are going to beat zim in honer of Woolmer.
 

Fiery

Banned
Christ, I'd not really give a stuff if the entire Cup was called-off TBH, it's not as if the thing's not going to be rather hollow from now on.
Over-reaction there Richard. As tragic as Woolmer's death is...the show must go on.

PS: There has been way too much speculation on this forum as to the cause of death. Wish people would wait to hear the coroner's report.
 

Swervy

International Captain
Quite frankly I'd not give a stuff if the game was called-off, I think it'd be the decent thing to do... Christ, I'd not really give a stuff if the entire Cup was called-off TBH, it's not as if the thing's not going to be rather hollow from now on.

EDIT: I'm not saying I expect such a thing, just that if you'd told me yesterday I'd have been "WTF?" and if you told me now I'd be more "Oh, OK".

there is no way they would call it off, and neither should they. Firstly, they are professional cricketers, there is a job to do. Secondly, there will be financial pressures to play the game. Thirdly, do you really think someone like Bob Woolmer would want the game to be cancelled?

It might be a nice touch howver if they name a trophy in his honour for something like tournaments most timproved team or something like that, given his involvement in coaching and development of the smaller teams in the tournament
 

pup11

International Coach
I think Bob would never have wanted the game[Pak v/s ZIM] to be called off, so what Pakistan needs to do now is go out and play their last game of this WC for Bob.
 

IndianByHeart

U19 Vice-Captain
I know they are professional but still playing the match would be very hard for Pakistani players as they will still be in a state of shock.I remember Pete Sampras breaking down several times in a match when his coach was terminally ill.

I believe most teams will play their matches with black armbands, WI team will probably do that in tomorrow's match.
 

Craig

World Traveller
there is no way they would call it off, and neither should they. Firstly, they are professional cricketers, there is a job to do. Secondly, there will be financial pressures to play the game. Thirdly, do you really think someone like Bob Woolmer would want the game to be cancelled?

It might be a nice touch howver if they name a trophy in his honour for something like tournaments most timproved team or something like that, given his involvement in coaching and development of the smaller teams in the tournament
Perhaps for the best of the minnows or in the ICC Trophy tournaments or something like that would be good options.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
there is no way they would call it off, and neither should they. Firstly, they are professional cricketers, there is a job to do. Secondly, there will be financial pressures to play the game. Thirdly, do you really think someone like Bob Woolmer would want the game to be cancelled?
Whether Bob Woolmer would have wanted something is not neccessarily the most important thing - sadly, he's no longer with us to see what happens or doesn't. What matters is those close to him - if they want to play in his memory, that is quite right. If they want to not play in his memory, that too is quite right. And if they don't play, I for one am entirely happy with that.

I couldn't really give a stuff if "they're professional cricketers, there's a job to do", however. Some things are more important than doing your job - and to most of the Pakistan players, Bob Woolmer was far, far more than just a workmate.

As to the financial pressures - even I$C$C have some semblence of heart towards very personal tragedies like this one, and if there was a genuine strong feeling that the Pakistanis wanted not to play, I don't think many would begrudge them. They certainly damn well shouldn't.
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Over-reaction there Richard. As tragic as Woolmer's death is...the show must go on.
Can you imagine how hollow that "show" will feel to some?

There will be more than a few, I assure you, who'll leave this Cup with more sadness than happiness - Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis, for example, to pick the only two examples to whom such a thing would apply - do you imagine they'll not be feeling their celebrations are tempered should they win the Cup in a month's time?
 

thierry henry

International Coach
Can you imagine how hollow that "show" will feel to some?

There will be more than a few, I assure you, who'll leave this Cup with more sadness than happiness - Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis, for example, to pick the only two examples to whom such a thing would apply - do you imagine they'll not be feeling their celebrations are tempered should they win the Cup in a month's time?
Pakistan are going home. *Some* of the South African players will be devastated, I'm sure. Apart from that I don't think any of the other players from the other teams will have too much difficulty coping with their grief. Sorry if I sound awfully disrespectful, but, well, people die all the time. I think that if there's some compelling cricket to come in this WC then the event will overshadow the death. Those close to Woolmer will have their chance to grieve, and everyone will give him his due respect, but I daresay 95% of the players remaining at the cup were not close to him, and the show will go on.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I quite see what you're saying but from quite a few of the tribute comments it seems to me that he was far more widely known and loved outside his own dressing-room(s) than you're suggesting there.

Bob Woolmer was one of the most all-inclusive guys in World cricket, that much was apparent long before now and even more so since. Obviously, people like Jacques Kallis and Younis Khan (to pick 2 names out of the hat) are likely to be even more devastated than the rest - almost as much, possibly, as those noted occasions (poor Younis has had 3 of them) when they lost family members.

To give the best analogy I can - I feel this is analogous to a large workplace of 100 or so employees, all of whom know each other well enough, where 3 of them are housemates who've lived together for 7 years. Clearly, if one of these housemates dies unexpectedly, the 2 are going to be more affected than the rest but everyone else in the workplace is still going to be substantially :down:
 

Swervy

International Captain
To give the best analogy I can - I feel this is analogous to a large workplace of 100 or so employees, all of whom know each other well enough, where 3 of them are housemates who've lived together for 7 years. Clearly, if one of these housemates dies unexpectedly, the 2 are going to be more affected than the rest but everyone else in the workplace is still going to be substantially :down:
yeah, but the business still needs to continue..there are customers that require product that they have paid substantially for, there is the economy of the area that needs to be taken into account blah blah...not the best anaolgy to be honest if you are trying to make a point!!!!

I will guarantee that Woolmers family would not want the pakistan to stop playing or the WC to be put on hold or whatever, because they know its not what Bob Woolmer would want or ever expect.

If you feel that the rest of the tournament will feel hollow or whatever then that fine, for me the success of Ireland or any of the other 'lesser' teams has a real resonance given the work Woolmer put into the development of these teams
 

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