Pakistan players being interviewed by police

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Mar 22 (Reuters) Jamaican police were interviewing today every member of the Pakistan World Cup cricket team as part of the investigation into what they called the ''suspicious'' death of coach Bob Woolmer.

''The interviews are taking up to an hour for each player,'' Pakistan team manager Talat Ali told Reuters.

Team spokesman Pervez Mir said later that the team would be flying to Montego Bay as scheduled TOday. Reuters were told that two backroom staff were to remain in Kingston to liaise with police working on the inquiry.

The team were due to fly home to Pakistan from Montego Bay on Saturday.

Former England batsman Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious in his Kingston hotel room on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Pakistan's shock World Cup defeat by Ireland which knocked them out of the tournament. He was pronounced dead in hospital later that day.

The death of Woolmer, regarded as one of the best coaches in the world, has cast a pall on the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean which lasts for seven weeks and culminates in the final on April 28.

Jamaican police deputy commissioner Mark Shields said today the death was being treated as ''suspicious''. He said at the time that there were no suspects.

'BEEN STRANGLED' Today's edition of the local daily newspaper ''The Gleaner'' quoted an unnamed police source saying a murder investigation would soon be announced. The paper said there were signs Woolmer had been strangled.

Jamaica police spokesman Karl Angell played down the report and told Reuters today: ''We made it very clear in our statement on Tuesday that we are treating this as a suspicious death and suspicious means that we rule out nothing.'' Woolmer's widow Gill gave an interview to Sky TV today saying she had not ruled out her husband being murdered.

Ali told Reuters the Pakistan team management had been frustrated by the lack of police information given to them during the past 48 hours.

Asked what was going on he said: ''I wish I knew. We have been trying to contact the police since yesterday. We haven't been able to do that. All I'm hearing is speculation in newspapers this morning.'' ''Unfortunately, the police have not been in touch with us (Pakistan team management) at all. We have not been informed of the latest developments.'' A police source confirmed to Reuters that players and officials were being questioned.

''This is in keeping with the theme of the investigations that all persons relevant to the case are being questioned and will be questioned,'' the source said.

Among those already quizzed were the captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and the team's media manager Mir.

''Statements have already been collected from some individuals and we will continue our investigations at a fast pace,'' the police source said.

The source added that two members of the hotel's staff, who were among the first to find Woolmer, had also been questioned.

A hotel source said that the women had been taken off regular duties and were told to refrain from speaking with anyone about what they saw.

A second pathologist was re-examining the file on Woolmer, the police source told Reuters. He denied a report that this scientist had been flown from the United States to help.

Reuters DH VP0021