Younis wants to honour former coach Woolmer with Ireland win

ADELAIDE: Senior Pakistan batsman Younis Khan hopes his side will defeat Ireland in Sunday’s must-win World Cup clash as a tribute to their late former coach Bob Woolmer.

Woolmer, aged 58, was found dead in his hotel room a day after Pakistan were knocked out of the 2007 World Cup by Ireland in Jamaica.

After lengthy investigations that included the possibility of murder or suicide, Jamaican police eventually announced that Woolmer had died of natural causes.

The same two teams meet again, this time two days ahead of St Patrick’s Day, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals and the losers’ fate hanging by a thread.

Khan, 37, is the only member of that 2007 squad still involved in this World Cup, as are three Irishmen – skipper William Porterfield and the O’Brien brothers, Niall and Kevin.

Eoin Morgan, who played for Ireland in that match, is now the current England captain.

“This is surely a very emotional game for me and all of us,” Khan said, remembering the man who coached Pakistan from 2004 till his death. “I remember Bob a lot, he contributed so much to Pakistan cricket.

“Hope we can win this game and some more in the World Cup. There would be nothing better to dedicate to Bob’s memory.”

Khan said he expected a close game against the fast-improving Ireland team that had beaten the West Indies earlier in the tournament.

“It is not about taking revenge, it is about us winning the game to qualify,” he said. “We have to be at our best on Sunday.”