Trouble In Paradise

IT WAS MEANT to be a celebration of the world's second most popular team sport and a boost for tourism in the West Indies. But the Cricket World Cup—a quadrennial tournament that began last week in Sabrina Park, Jamaica, and will travel to nine Caribbean countries by April 28—has already provided a surfeit of high drama, dark comedy and tragedy. The competition got off to a rousing start on March 13 when, to the delight of hometown fans, the West Indies beat Pakistan, the world's No. 4--ranked team, in the opening match. The first week also saw Bangladesh's toppling of heavily favored India and the suspension of England vice-captain Andrew Flintoff, who was fined along with five teammates for going on a bender after their loss to New Zealand. (A presumably in-his-cups Flintoff reportedly had to be rescued while floating in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, after tumbling out of a paddle boat.) Then on St. Patrick's Day, Ireland, the Kansas City Royals of cricket, pulled one of the biggest upsets in the 32-year history of the World Cup by beating Pakistan and knocking the 1992 champs from the tournament.

Back in Pakistan, where they take their cricket seriously, that did not play as a cute story about the luck o' the Irish. The nation's parliament started an inquiry into the loss and there were calls for players to be arrested when they returned. Mobs took to the street to burn players in effigy and chant "death to [coach] Bob Woolmer." Then on Sunday morning, Woolmer (left), 58, an Englishman who had coached Pakistan since 2004 and who was a giant in the international cricket community, did die in a Kingston hospital after being found unconscious in his hotel room.

The official cause of death was unknown on Monday, though British press reports said he had possibly overdosed on prescription drugs and alcohol, or had a heart attack. Woolmer's wife, Gill, told London's The Mirror that her husband was depressed over Pakistan's defeats and that "his job coaching there has been incredibly stressful." On Sunday all of Jamaica took a deep breath and watched a rerun of the gala opening ceremony on TV.