KARACHI, March 26: Pakistan vice-captain Younis Khan said on Monday he had lost a father figure in coach Bob Woolmer. Younis said he had yet to recover from the shock of Woolmer's murder at the cricket World Cup in Jamaica.

“I was the closest to him in the team and we discussed everything,” Younis said by telephone from Dubai.

“Being knocked out of the World Cup was a big disappointment but Bob's death is like a nightmare,” Younis said in his first public reaction to the events in the Caribbean.

The 58-year-old Woolmer, who had coached Pakistan since 2004, was found unconscious in his hotel room in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 18 and pronounced dead later in hospital, a day after Pakistan lost to Ireland and went out of the Cup.

“Bob was good to me. He helped me realise my potential and improve my performances,” he said.

“We had talked about the future and he wanted me to come to work with him in his cricket academy project he had planned in Cape Town.

“We were very close. Losing him in the World Cup was something I never imagined happening,” Younis added.

Younis, who is expected to take over as captain from Inzamam-ul-Haq who announced his retirement from One-day Internationals and relinquished the captaincy, said the team had worked hard to try to do well in the World Cup.

“Bob had high hopes from the team. We felt that once we reached the Super Eights stage we would improve. But in four days things happened so quickly we didn't get time to recover.”

Younis said he was very disappointed at letting down the Pakistani people.

“I know everyone had so much expectation from us. But it is something that will live with us forever. The other members of the Pakistan squad were scheduled to reach home from London on Wednesday. —Reuters