Lahore: Pakistani players, including captain Inzamam-ul Haq, and dignitaries on Sunday paid glowing tributes to coach Bob Woolmer at the Sacred Heart Cathedral here.

Players and officials lighted candles and placed floral wreaths at the bottom of a portrait of Woolmer, who was allegedly murdered in his hotel room in Kingtson exactly two weeks ago.

President Pervez Musharraf, the chief patron of Pakistan Cricket Board, also sent a special wreath, which was placed by PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf.

Everyone observed a one-minute silence and the church chorus sang hymns.

Leading the prayers was Archbishop of Lahore Lawrence Saldanha, who said Woolmer’s sudden and tragic death had plunged the whole nation into sadness and sorrow and all Pakistanis were united in their common grief.

“We are gathered here to pay respects to a man loved and well known by all. We pay tribute for his excellent qualities and passionate interest in cricket and what he did for Pakistan cricket,” he said.

Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Rana Naved, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt and other former players attended the service with all of the officials of the board present including the new director of cricket operations Zakir Khan.

Inzamam said he had enjoyed a good relation with Woolmer who was an outstanding coach and very good at man-management.

“The other players were comfortable with him and besides being a top coach he was also a very good human being and we are all going to miss him a lot,” he said.

“Bob’s biggest quality was that he never put the players under pressure even when they were not performing or if we lost a match. He was always encouraging and supporting us,” he added.

Inzamam admitted the players were not in a mood to play their final game of the World Cup against Zimbabwe after the coach’s death.

“But we played the match because we knew Woolmer would have done the same. It was our way of paying tribute and saying thank you to him.”

Ashraf said despite his short association with Woolmer, he liked him a lot.

“I had a lot of respect for him because of his commitment and sincerity to the team. Even in his last email he told me don’t blame the players they tried their best but had a bad day,” he said.

Ashraf said the board had decided to name the main hall of the National Cricket Academy after Woolmer as a tribute to the late coach.

“That is the least we can do and we all pray and offer our sympathies to his bereaved family.”

(PTI)