Hours after his team had suffered a shocking defeat and as his effigy was being burnt in the streets by furious fans, Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan cricket coach and former England all-rounder, died yesterday in a Jamaican hospital.

His players were coming to terms with their World Cup exit at the hands of the cricketing minnows Ireland when news emerged that the coach had been found by two Pakistani officials unconscious in his room at the Pegasus Hotel.

Fanatical fans in Pakistan had been demanding that Woolmer and his captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, be arrested on their return to the country. But although the mob in the central city of Multan had been chanting “death to Inzamam, death to Bob Woolmer” few would have meant their prayers to be taken literally.

The Pakistan team were struggling last night to comprehend his death. Inzamam announced his retirement from the one-day game on hearing the news, adding: “I am shocked and badly hurt. We have lost a good coach and a good person.”

In Kingston, where Woolmer, 58, had been staying, the shock among the wider international cricketing community was palpable.

Pakistani officials did disclose, to the surprise of those outside Woolmer’s close-knit circle, that he was diabetic and had suffered breathing problems before the World Cup. One official said that Woolmer occasionally needed to wear an oxygen mask.

According to reports, Woolmer is thought to have had a heart attack. He was declared dead shortly after being taken to the University of West Indies Hospital in Kingston.

Woolmer’s son Russell said that stress may have caused his father’s death. “We’ve been speaking to the doctors and they think it is either stress or a heart attack,” he told a South African radio station. “We’re all very shocked and we don’t know what to do. I’ve lost an amazing man to me.”

Woolmer, who told The Times this year that he would be interested in taking over the England coaching job, had a dramatic tenure as coach of Pakistan. He had come close to resigning over a dispute about “ball tampering” during a Test Match at the Brit Oval last summer, closely followed by two of his players — Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif — failing drug tests.

On Saturday, after his team’s defeat, Woolmer, a regular Times columnist, had said that he would sleep on his future. “This is a game of cricket, and everyone should try to remember this,” he said. “We are sorry that we have performed in the way that we have. We didn’t mean to do it, but all credit to Ireland and good luck to them.”

That Woolmer’s coaching nadir came against Ireland, who were playing in their first tournament, was an irony not lost on observers. Many people had criticised the inclusion of the so-called minnow teams but Woolmer had defended their right to participate.

He was a universally admired coach, recognised by peers as an innovator and by players as a loyal boss. Michael Vaughan, the England captain, who shared a fruit punch with Woolmer next to a Montego swimming pool last week, said that the coach had had a phenomenal impact on the game.

Vaughan, alluding to the errant behaviour of his team-mate Andrew Flintoff, who was disciplined after a drinking binge, said: “Today’s win, the incidents over the last 48 hours, this really hit home when we heard that Bob had passed away when we were on the field today. We know how much of an impact he’s had on the world game, on the English game and we know how greatly missed he’s going to be.”

The retired test umpire Harold “Dickie” Bird said: “He was a tremendous all-rounder for Kent and for England and magnificent cricket coach.”

In the blogs

"Is this the beginning of the end? Only time will tell. In Pakistan, cricket failures are not taken very well and I’m sure there is all-round anger in everyone’s heart" Posted by ymasood

“I sit here in a complete state of disbelief and denial, mixed with an incalculable dose of anger: it is without a doubt the darkest day in Pakistan’s history. “And then the captain had the bloody nerve to say that this was due to ‘kismet’ (fate). Mr Inzamam, spare us the bull**** and give the Irish the credit they deserve" Posted by nighttigershome.blogspot

“For two consecutive matches, every Pakistan batsman has died a coward’s death. Ireland played out of their skins but they really should never have beaten Pakistan, green wicket or flat top" Posted by Kamran Abbasi

“Either the Irish team consists of brilliant players . . . or the Pakistani cricket team consists of a*******" Posted by Umar Siddiqi

Life and times of Bob Woolmer

May 14, 1948 Born in Kampur, India

1968 Began professional cricket career with Kent.

1970 Awarded county cap; first player to take 50 John Player League wickets

1975 Took a hat-trick for MCC against Australia at Lord’s; Test debut at Lord’s in second test; of that series; scored 149 in fifth Test at the Oval going in at number five

1976 Opened batting; selected as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year

1977 Successive hundreds against Australia at Lord’s and Old Trafford; joined Kerry Packer’s rebel World Series Cricket organisation and dropped by England

1980 Recalled for England against West Indies

1984 Injury forced him to retire prematurely at 33; moved to South Africa

1994 Guided Warwickshire to three trophies in one season; brought Brian Lara to Edgbaston

1999 Led South Africa to the World Cup final

2000 Returned to coach Warwickshire

2001 Left to join ICC

2004 Became only the second foreigner to coach Pakistan

2006 Pakistan forfeits a Test match after ball-tampering row with umpire Darrell Hair

March 13, 2007 Pakistan lose their World Cup opener

March 18 Found unconscious in his hotel room. Dies later