CRICKET:The success of Ireland's cricketers in the World Cup has been marred by the sudden death of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan team coach.

Just hours after his team lost their second match of the tournament, Woolmer (58), was found lying unconscious in his hotel room by staff. He was taken to Kingston University hospital at around 10.45am yesterday (local time), where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

The cause of death is not yet known, and an autopsy and coroner's inquest, compulsory under Jamaican law, will be carried out.

Pakistan media manager PJ Mir described Woolmer's mood as "perfectly fine" in the hours after Saturday's game, saying he travelled back to the team hotel in the team bus.

However, Mir referenced comments made by Woolmer in the post-match press conference at Sabina Park, where he said that, "too much travelling and staying in hotel rooms had taken its toll".

Woolmer, a hugely successful former coach of South Africa and Warwickshire, has a home in Cape Town.

Given the ferocity of the support for cricket in Pakistan, the role of coach to the national team comes with a pressure virtually unmatched in sport. On Saturday evening, Woolmer had fielded several questions from Pakistani journalists as to his future.

In a statement of chilling irony, he told the assembled press: "I'd like to sleep on that one".

"Contrary to press reports he was still enjoying being the coach of Pakistan," said Mir. "People in Pakistan were devastated about the loss of the match (against Ireland). This has an inevitable effect on Bob and the players. The pressures are there, there's no doubt about that. As we got off the bus, I said to him that it was a sad day. He replied, 'That's cricket'.

"Bob's family and wife were informed by the management about his condition when he was brought to hospital."

His death came less than 24 hours after Pakistan were knocked out of the World Cup following their defeat by Ireland. After the match, Woolmer spoke of the pressures of coaching.

"Doing it internationally, it takes a toll on you," he said. "The endless travelling and the non-stop living out of hotels.

"I am deeply hurt and cannot tell you how it is going to affect me," Woolmer told AFP late on Saturday after the Ireland defeat.

Tributes came in from around the cricketing world. Warren Deutrom, chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, said: "It is with great sadness that we learned today of Bob Woolmer's untimely passing. He was a fine cricketer, and an outstanding coach, and the visionary behind much of what is today regarded as modern cricket coaching. From an Irish perspective, Bob would have been at the forefront of identifying the best talent in the Associate Member world as the ICC's first high performance manager, and for that we owe him a great debt. Our thoughts are with his family, to whom we send our deepest condolences, and to all involved in Pakistan cricket who will feel his loss keenly."

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier described Bob Woolmer's death as a "sad shadow over the 2007 Cricket World Cup".