Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was strangled in his hotel room a day after his team's defeat at cricket's World Cup showpiece, Jamaican police said, in a crime that has sent shockwaves through the sport.

The International Cricket Council insisted the World Cup would continue after confirmation that Woolmer was murdered, amid rumours of a possible link to match-fixing gangs that have flourished in the game's dark underbelly.

As tributes poured in for the former England Test batsman and South Africa coach, speculation focused on who might have been behind Woolmer's slaying in his Kingston hotel.

Pakistan's players gave statements to police and were fingerprinted before leaving for Montego Bay, where they were to stay for two days before returning home after their early elimination at the hands of minnows Ireland.

In a press conference Thursday, Jamaican police spokesman Karl Angell confirmed Woolmer had been the victim of foul play.

"The pathologist report states that Mr. Woolmer's death was due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation," Angell said.

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

Woolmer was declared dead in hospital Sunday after being found unconscious in his room. He was 58.

The day before, Pakistan -- the 1992 World Cup winners -- were knocked out of the 2007 version in the Caribbean.

"I don't want to talk about suspects at this stage," said Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of police, suggesting more than one person may have been involved.

"Bob was a large man and therefore it would have taken some significant force to subdue him and cause strangulation, but we do not know at this stage how many people were in the room," he said.

Shields also indicated there were no signs of forced entry as "the room was undisturbed and all his belongings were intact."

He said authorities were still waiting for histology and toxicology tests, which would indicate whether any substances were involved.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the game of cricket "cannot be put off by a cowardly criminal act."

"The best way to do that is for the teams that remain in the tournament to play out a great World Cup, something that will help put the smile back on the face of our great sport," he said in a statement.

Speed said the initial "wave of sadness" over Woolmer's death had now been replaced with "a profound sense of shock."

Earlier, rumours had swirled of possible poisoning and even killing at the hands of criminals keen to avoid exposure in claims of match-fixing which may have arisen in a book Woolmer was planning to write.

Team spokesman Pervez Mir dismissed suggestions the death was linked to match-fixing as "totally baseless and premature."

Woolmer was South Africa's coach when former captain Hansie Cronje was bought off by bookmakers.

Asked if the team had discussed such a possibility, Mir said: "Absolutely not. The players, as far as I know, have not spoken about any match-fixing or any match-fixing incident because there is no question of that."

The team were also furious they were being cast by some parts of the media as prime suspects.

"The impression is being given that the Pakistan team are suspects. This is not true," team manager Talat Ali said.

Shields said the players had been helpful and there was no reason why they could not travel home as planned.

Woolmer became coach of Pakistan in 2004 and had talked of the stresses of managing one of the most volatile teams in world cricket.

Last year the team forfeited a Test against England after a ball-tampering row, the first time ever a game had ended such a way, and preparations for the World Cup were badly hit when his two best fast bowlers failed drugs tests.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)