Woolmer's murder linked to Dawood, Al-Qaeda

Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer's mysterious death took a new twist with a media report linking his murder to Dawood Ibrahim and Al-Qaeda.

A report in The Sun claimed a Pakistan-based bookie was thrown out of Woolmer's room after an altercation with the coach.

The daily quoted sources claiming that the bookie, who had vanished after Woolmer's death on March 18, is an associate of Dawood Ibrahim, who is wanted over funding Al-Qaeda and also for the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

The report quoted intelligence officials, who tour with the Indian cricket team, as saying that the bookie was seen at the World Cup in Jamaica with Dawood's brother Anees Ibrahim.

Jamaican officials, however, said they were not told by the Pakistani cricketers about any such row between the coach and the bookie.

The report, however, claimed that two Pakistani players, in their statement to police, did mention about the furious bust-up.

"Bob Woolmer said he had thrown a bookie out of his room. He didnt give a reason," an official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Jamaican Police Mark Shields said, "This issue has come up before but we have so far been unable to substantiate it. But we are prepared to consider it further now that we have names and more details. We will be investigating."

Woolmer was found strangled in his 12th floor room of the Pegasus Hotel room on March 18, hours after Pakistan's shock World Cup defeat against minnows Ireland.