So long, Woolmer!

Bob Woolmer, Pakistan cricket team coach, died on Sunday morning in Kingston, Jamaica. He was 58 years of age. He was considered one of the best cricket coaches of the world. He introduced modern technique and methods in coaching, and was a pioneer in using computer-based analysis. Robert Andrew Woolmer was born on May 14, 1948 in Kanpur, India. As a right-hand batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler, Woolmer played for England, Kent, Natal and Western Province. His first-class cricket spanned from 1968 to 1984, during which he played 19 Tests and six ODIs for England.Bob Woolmer made his Test debut in 1975 at the Lord’s against Australia. Earlier, he played his first ODI in 1972 at Manchester also against Australia. In his early stage of Test cricket for England, he joined Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket, but on his return he was not included in the national team. Later, he joined the rebel South African tour of 1981-82. However, an injury in 1984 forced him to take a premature retirement from cricket. In Test cricket, he scored 1,059 runs at an average of 33.09 with three hundreds, all against Australia. His highest score was 149, which he made only in his second Test. Besides, he appeared in six ODIs. He took four Test and nine ODI wickets. He was named one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 1976.His coaching career started in 1991 at Warwickshire till 1994, when he was appointed as coach of South Africa for two upcoming World Cups, in which South Africans showed highly impressive performances, especially in 1999. Later, he left the job when South Africa failed to win the 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia to make their way for the final at Lord's.In 2001, he joined the ICC as high performance manager. Later in June 2004, he signed a coaching contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take charge of Pakistan’s national team up to the 2007 World Cup.