Woolmer strangled to death

Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was murdered, Jamaican police said tonight.

A postmortem examination showed his death was caused by asphyxia, as a result of manual strangulation, police said.

A murder inquiry has been launched.

Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious by staff at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Sunday morning, the day after Pakistan's shock defeat to cricketing minnows Ireland in the Cricket World Cup.

It is understood the coach was found in the bathroom area. He was then taken to hospital where he died.

"The official report from the pathologist states that Mr Woolmer's death was due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation,'' Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas said in a statement read out by a police spokesman at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, where Woolmer died on Sunday.

"In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaican police as murder.''

Assistant Police Commissioner Les Green, formerly of Scotland Yard, confirmed that members of the Pakistan cricket team were fingerprinted. Green is assisting with the inquiry.

"It's standard to take fingerprints to eliminate persons from fingerprints which would be found in the room,'' Green told AP.

"After a thorough investigation, fingerprints not belonging to Mr Woolmer were found in the room.''