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Forensic reports on late Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer have thrown up more clues as to whether he was indeed poisoned or not.

A report in the Sunday Times claims that Woolmer’s death may have been caused by a rare weedkiller, traces of which have been found on his champagne glass. Jamaica Police sources have disclosed that high concentrations of the herbicide was also found in Woolmer’s stomach.

“Everything was contaminated. The stomach content, the glass, everything. There was enough to kill him,” a source said.

The weedkiller’s presence has perplexed police authorities as the rare herbicide may not even be found in the Caribbean Islands, if not in Jamaica alone. Police have narrowed down on two champagne bottles the Pakistan coach was gifted, one of which was left unopened.

“We think it’s something very unusual, that you can’t even buy in Jamaica. We don’t know what form it was in, whether liquid or crystal,” the source said.

“The weedkiller was certainly in the glass. We are not sure whether it was in the bottle. Until we get further results we can’t confirm it,” the source added.

It is yet to be established whether Woolmer was along with someone while drinking the bottle of champagne.

Woolmer was cremated in Cape Town last week. The 58-year-old was found dead in his Pegasus Hotel room in Jamaica a day after Pakistan’s shock defeat to minnows Ireland.

Pakistan cricket manager for the World Cup, PJ Mir, confirmed that Woolmer had received the two bottles. “I was told that somebody has brought two bottles,” Mir said, but added that the coach was not particularly fond of champagne. He (Woolmer) told me he was mostly a beer drinker because he was diabetic and it suited his blood sugar”.

Toxicologists attempting to solve the mystery have said that weedkiller compounds that cause death, exist in hundreds. Some have no smell or taste, are soluble in water and can cause an acute reaction within hours. “The use of a herbicide in homicide is pretty rare if not totally exclusive to this case,” an expert said.

Mark Shields, the deputy police commissioner leading the investigation, will this week travel to Britain to meet a team of experts carrying out further toxicology tests and reviewing the post-mortem.
Source:The News