Kingston: Mushtaq Ahmed, given the job of replacing Bob Woolmer as coach for the rest of the World Cup, on Tuesday described his death as the worst thing to happen to Pakistan cricket.

“The loss of Bob Woolmer is the biggest blow in the history of the Pakistan cricket tam,” Mushtaq said. “He was a father figure to all of us.”

“There is a great vacuum because Bob had become part of the family and when you lose a member of the family one only knows how bad it is. It is a very difficult time for all of us.”

“Bob was a great man who could forgive so much in spite of anything that happened. He also used to impart knowledge and was also such a good and kind human being.

“Bob was a great motivating factor for us, always trying to improviset. He, along with Inzamam-ul Haq, gave such a lot to Pakistan. It’s a tremendous loss for us and the rest of the world.” (Reuters)