Call off World Cup, says Donald

Donald played under Woolmer for South Africa and at Warwickshire

Former South Africa star Allan Donald says the World Cup should be called off in the wake of the news that Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was murdered.

The International Cricket Council insists the tournament will continue but Donald, who played under Woolmer for the Proteas, disagrees.

"I just don't know how this World Cup can continue under the shadow of what's happened," Donald BBC Radio Five Live.

"World Cup 2007 will be forever remembered for this."

Woolmer was found unconscious in his Kingston hotel room on Sunday morning, a day after Pakistan had been knocked out of the World Cup by Ireland, and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

Jamaica police confirmed on Thursday that the 58-year-old had been strangled.

I just can't believe that people can go to these lengths about a game of cricket Allan Donald

Despite the news, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the tournament will continue as scheduled.

But Donald said: "My personal opinion would have been to stop, but knowing Bob he would have wanted this to go ahead.

"I think Malcolm Speed had said everyone should stay strong in this moment of darkness.

"I think everyone will continue this World Cup but, at the back of their minds, know that a tragedy took place."

Professor Tim Noakes, who was writing a book on cricket coaching with Woolmer, agrees that he would have wanted the World Cup to go ahead.

"If Bob were alive, the last thing he would want would be the World Cup to be stopped," the Cape Town University professor told Five Live.

"Cricket was his life. He desperately wanted to win the World Cup and I think that was what would have upset him the most, that his team had not performed as he thought they were capable.

"He definitely would not want the World Cup to stop. It would be the antithesis of what he would want.

"He wants cricket to be a famous game played in the right spirit and that's what he would like to see. Maybe this World Cup should be in his memory and that would be worth it."

Donald added that he felt "pretty sick" at the news that his friend's death is being treated as murder.

"I just hope the individuals or individuals are brought to justice because Bob was a great man and would never go to the lengths to put his life in danger," he said.

"I just can't believe that people can go to these lengths about a game of cricket."