Kingston, March 25
After last-minute questioning of Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and two other members of the squad, a “traumatised” Pakistan cricket team was on its way home, their disastrous World Cup campaign overshadowed by their coach Bob Woolmer’s murder — which the police said today could have been carried out by an “associate”.

Inzamam, acting coach Mushtaq Ahmed and team manager Talat Ali were subjected to a second round of questioning by the Jamaican police just before the team was allowed to board a flight to London on their way home.

All member of the Pakistan team has earlier been questioned, fingerprinted and subjected to DNA Tests after Woolmer was found dead in the team hotel a week ago.

The Pakistan team management was at pains to emphasise that there was nothing “extraordinary” in the last-minute questioning of the captain and two others who, according to team spokesman Pervez Jamil Mir, were asked about their movements, their activities and what time they went to bed on the night before the coach was found dead around breakfast time on March 18. The Pakistan team had fully cooperated with the investigation, the police said. However, according to a report in British daily The Guardian, Talat was asked why he moved from the 12th floor of the team hotel to another suit on the 17th floor using the name “Newman” on the night after Woolmer was murdered in the hotel. Talat reportedly said, “Because I was scared and everyone was scared.”

The newspaper also quoted unconfirmed reports claiming that Mushtaq was asked, “Why do you have a cut on your nose? Did you go to hospital?” Mushtaq said he was hit by a ball in the warm-up session before the Ireland match.

Inzamam said there was “nothing special” in his being questioned for a second time by the Jamaica police and it was an investigative routine.

“It was nothing, just one question, nothing special,” Inzamam told a television news channel. Other members of the team — physiotherapist Darryn Lifson and trainer Murray Stevenson, both South Africans, as also Pakistan Cricket Board Operations Manager Asad Mustafa have stayed back to help in Woolmer’s body being taken to Cape Town.

Jamaica’s Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields told reporters that Woolmer might have known his killer or killers. “It’s fair to acknowledge that because it was in his hotel room it may be an associate.

“We have to look at that with an extremely open mind. We have to look at every conceivable line of inquiry,” he said.

“They (Inzamam, Mushtaq and Talat) have answered any ambiguities and unanswered questions,” Shields added.

The police is closely scrutinising footage from CCTV cameras installed on each floor of the Pegasus Hotel to track the identities of people who visited the hotel, particularly the 12th floor where Woolmer was murdered.

Shields, a former Scotland Yard detective, also said he was looking into the betting patterns, which might explain Pakistan’s surprise defeat against Ireland.

“One aspect is what were the odds on Ireland if they won. I understand that they were extremely good if you bet on Ireland. The match-fixing thing is being looked into,” Shields said.

Speculation are rife that the betting mafia was behind Woolmer being strangled to death. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s diplomat from the embassy in Washington, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, reached Jamaica.

Mushtaq, however, said he was confident that none of the team members would be dragged into the controversy.

“God willing, I’m 110 per cent sure about that and it’s not a big issue,” he said. — PTI