Bob Woolmer, left, was appointed coach of Pakistan in 2004 [AFP]

A team spokesman said that the 58-year-old had died within an hour of being taken to Kingston General Hospital on Sunday.
 
"Doctors have pronounced Bob Woolmer dead. Bob Woolmer has passed away and it is very shocking news to all of the team and the team management," PJ Mir, the team's media manager, said.

The cause of his death was not immediately released.
 
"Bob's family and wife were informed by the team management about Bob's condition when he was brought to hospital," Mir added.

Shock defeat

Pakistan were knocked out of the World Cup on Saturday after a shock three-wicket defeat by Ireland.

After the defeat Woolmer had spoken about the disappointment that he felt and the stress that being a cricket coach had put on his life.

"Bob was a wonderful man, a wonderful cricket coach and he had a great cricket brain," Allan Lamb, former England captain and a close friend of Woolmer, told Al Jazeera.

"It wasn't long ago I saw Bob ... last year when Pakistan were touring I was in the dressing room with him and he seemed full of life and he looked fine, it's such a great shock."

Clive Lloyd, who led the West Indies to the first World Cup title in 1975 and is manager of the current team, said Woolmer "was a great guy and a really great coach".

"It's sad that such a tragedy should take place in the World Cup - I feel sad for his family." he added.

England Test player

Woolmer played for Kent in the English county championship and represented England at Test level 19 times but it was as a coach that he really made his mark.
 
His coaching career started at Warwickshire, and the string of trophies he won with them in the early 1990s led to him being appointed as national coach of South Africa in 1994.

He left the South African role after they failed to reach the World Cup final in 1999.

Woolmer had a spell as the ICC's high-performance manager before he was announced as Pakistan's new coach in June 2004, signing a contract to remain with them until the 2007 World Cup.

Pakistan's form leading up to the tournament was poor, and when they lost their first two matches it appeared unlikely that his tenure would be extended. He had been mentioned as a possible successor to Duncan Fletcher as England coach.

Pakistan can not progress from the group stage, but face Zimbabwe on Wednesday in their final World Cup match.

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