KARACHI, March 27: Two key Pakistani players have arrived home while most of the rest of the team are due late on Tuesday or overnight as the probe into the murder of coach Bob Woolmer continues, officials said.

Vice captain Younis Khan and star batsman Mohammad Yousuf arrived in Karachi late on Monday, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said on condition of anonymity.

“Younis and Yousuf have arrived while some other players including skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq are due late Tuesday or early Wednesday” the official said.

Younis was met by friends and family at Karachi airport while Yousuf took a connecting flight, thought to be for Lahore.

Younis refused to comment as he was driven away, witnesses said.

“I am crazy about cricket but although I knew it was Younis, I did not take his autograph because the team have disappointed us,” said Sheraz Ahmed, 16, who waited through the night at Karachi airport.

Inzamam and the team arrived in London on Sunday and have been staying at a hotel near the capital's Heathrow airport for a pre-arranged stopover en route home after their doomed trip to the World Cup in the Caribbean.

Police said they had taken security measures for the players in order to avoid any problems with angry fans on their return to their cricket-obsessed homeland.

The team went out in the first round of the tournament after a stunning loss to Ireland, sparking protests by angry fans as well as speculation about a possible link between Woolmer's murder and match-fixing gangs.

“We have taken security measures and will ensure their security, but so far we are not sure on which flight they are coming,” Karachi police chief Azhar Farooqi said.

Sources said the players might arrive on separate flights to Lahore and Karachi via Dubai.—Agencies