In October of that year, a rare bubbly time just before the England series that was to be the highlight of his tenure as Pakistan coach, we had our first prolonged interview. In a lengthy, frank chat in the afternoon Ramadan heat at the National Stadium in Karachi, he said as much on the record as he did off it and a rapport was immediately established. He had been a Wisden columnist and written regularly, which helped.

By then, a year into his job - a year of relative calm - he appeared keenly aware of the country's traditional volatility. He used one of his more prominent catchphrases then: 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, so concentrate on the now,' and few axioms apply so aptly to Pakistan. He also chirped Inshallah (god willing) to Pakistan's prospects in forthcoming encounters, having quickly picked up on the time-honoured Pakistani response to uncertainty.

For a journalist he was a dream: genial, a dry wit and rarely flustered. Above all, he was always accessible, in person, on the phone, via SMS and e-mail. He didn't tire of talking cricket on and off the field, ready with a quote or three. Beyond cricket I knew little, but I always felt after he left the Pakistan job, I probably would, over time, continents, countries, e-mails and text messages, uncover more.

What made Bob special: innovative training sessions and a willingness to think beyond the field © Getty Images

People have noted he was media-savvy and, in light of his own coaching website and a regular stream of articles for various publications, it is difficult to argue. Certainly, he read cricket. He always made sure to tell me I was a crap writer and didn't know what I was writing about; very occasionally, he pointed out that I might indeed have made a valid point.

Signs of what made him one of cricket's early super-coaches in the mid-90s were still present, in innovative training sessions and a willingness to think beyond the field. He spoke, in our first interview, of how difficult it was to work around the hierarchical structure of cricket in Pakistan, where the oldest player is often captain and difficult to approach for younger players. Touch football, which Pakistan played in most training sessions, was his way of getting youngsters more comfortable in interacting with Inzamam-ul-Haq and thus eventually to working with him on the field.

Though it wasn't remembered recently, he did make a difference, for a time, to Pakistan and that is achievement enough. Younger and temperamentally fragile players responded initially to his openness, his shunning of dressing downs and embracing instead of a more open, talk-it-out atmosphere. For a phase, Pakistan bubbled; no factionalism, binding forces aplenty, victories on the field and a captain and coach in sync.

Sadly, it fell away after the Oval Test, one of the more significant fall-outs from the dressing room fiasco that day being a cooling in relations between Inzamam and Woolmer. Shoaib Akhtar was a more prominent personnel challenge, though Woolmer wasn't the first and won't be the last to have discovered that.

Outwardly, the sheer madness of the last six months didn't appear to have worried him - c'est la vie he once reasoned merrily - but underneath that surface who knows. He had thought of resigning in August after the Oval Test, since when matters in Pakistan cricket became only more volatile. His future after the World Cup, he said privately and publicly, was undecided but the prospect of finishing a book on his coaching life, from experiences in South African townships to Lahore via much else, was one priority.

No matter now, for what has gone previously, what he did as player or coach, whatever has happened, all of it is irrelevant at this moment. In time, after sorrow and regret, it will become clear that he had done enough with Pakistan, with South Africa, with Warwickshire, with the ICC and with the game to be remembered as an innovative, successful coach and not for a last-game defeat to Ireland. My last interaction with him was through e-mail. He wished me a speedy recovery from illness. I can no longer do the same to him and none of this is nearly enough. God bless your soul Bob.

Its sad sad day of for me and all of us its difficult to write anything but i thank him for what he had done for world cricket and Pakistani
team he will be greatly missed no matter what people said about him when he was alive i was his big fan and will be
Bob thank you thank you very much

May his soul rest in eternal peace. He was one of the most innovative, intelligent and hardworking couch and he will be remebered as one of the best coaches Pakistani cricket can ever have.

I would say that what Bob Woolmer did to Pakistan Cricket team is precisely not many of the coaches have done. Bob Woolmer was a good coach and to my understanding Pakistan have won around 60% to 65% of the matches and even if its lesser than that i don't think its as bad as the Media made him look. Besides, if a team don't play well in a particular match or series its fault of players not completely of the coach. Also what Bob Woolmer services to world Cricket is just more than the pakistani people know about him(Bob). Lastly, i would only wish he would have accepted the beautiful religion of islam (like Muhammad Yusuf) before his death. Who knows, maybe something like that would be revealed about him in coming days, by someone.

We all Pakistani people salute Bob for his deep affection and resolve with Pakistani Cricket ....He is our NATIONAL HERO.....

I have no words to explain how much i m grieved over bob death , he will b rememberd forever my condolences to woolmer family

may his soul rest in peace

Matches are won and lost, championships and other battles on, and off, the ground are won and lost. However some people come in this world and leave theri mark for ever. Bob Woolmer was one such man. What a magician criciter and coash he was. Used the available technology to the fullest to deliver what he wanted to deliver and acheive. Pakistan team will obviosuly find a new coach but he wont be Bob Woolmer, THE MENTOR OF PAKISTAN TEAM

Bob was the only one who was calm, contempt and at peace the day Pakistan lost to WI. I saw him walking up the pavilion that day with Mushy after the loss and saw a humbling personality as compared to the Pakistani players who we, as fans, cried out for autograph and they never turned or smiled at the fans who had travelled so far to see them.
I am not ashamed to accept that I cried after Bob's news yesterday, feeling as if I have lost a National Figure of Pakistan. Ironic part is that Pakistanis usually never cry over the deaths of their politicians.

Well I'm an Indian so I never knew much about Mr. Woolmer but when I heard of his passing I felt a jolt which was why I looked up several articles of him on the internet and I must say I got a lot of respect for him. I hope Pakistan dedicate their last match against Zimbabwe to him and really come out on top. And I would really like to see South Africa win the world cup as a tribute to a man who has lived and died for the game. Rest in peace sir, and thanks for everything you've done for cricket.

We lost a great coach and a good friend of Pakistan. A gem of a person really, you could tell from the way he carried himself. I had to keep from crying when i heard about his death. It has made me forget all about our loss to Ireland. This is a bigger loss by a huge margin. In my eyes he died as a Pakistani!! May Allah grant him eternal bliss!!

RIP Sir Bob Woolmer

I am truly shocked by the news of Bob Woolmers passing away. Losing to Ireland I can take but losing Bob Woolmer is alot harder to take. I have lost one of my cricketing heroes and he will be missed by alot of people.

He did not deserve this surely the Pakistan Players, Officials and supporters should take a good look at themselves He was always humble in everything he did for Pakistani Cricket and never got the credit he deserved. He was and will always be the best pakistan coach ever. His legacy will last at Pakistan for along time. He made the Pakstan team play as a unit something I have never seen before and even though they flopped the players must learn from what Bob taught them otherwise im afraid its the end of Pakistan cricket as we know it.

I have never seen anyone who comes close in cricketing terms to this guy. South Africa and warackshire were awesome under him and I have never seen a better fielding team than his South Africa Team who said fielding was boring.

He is a legend. Surely this guy deserves a knighthood for his services to Cricket.

My condolences to his family. The cricket world has lost a great servant. There will never be another like him.

May Allah rest your soul. Ameen

Bob you will be sorely missed.You were best thing that happened to world of cricket.
May your soul rest in peace.

Bob Woolmer's tragedy is a shock to the whole world. He will be missed forvere, nodoubt. I wish all the best to his family and the enitre Pakistan cricket team.

Bob will also remain in our hearth. He was very loyal to our team and very keen to see us on top.

Bob Woolmer was a unique person: an Englishman who became a citizen of the world. When he coached South Africa he became South African, when in Pakistan he became a Pakistani. All who knew him, loved him for his intelligence, good humour and sincerity. All who worked with him benefited from his grace. His teams were happy teams who knew there was no better coach or mentor. He was a beautiful person. We needed him in cricket and now he is gone and cannot be replaced. We can only embrace his memory and say thanks Bob for everything.