The official pathologist in the Bob Woolmer case, whose findings launched an international murder hunt, has insisted the Pakistan cricket coach was killed.

Ere Sheshiah said Woolmer, who was found dead in a Jamaican hotel room a day after his team exited the World Cup, had been poisoned with pesticide and strangled. He was speaking at the inquest into Woolmer's death.

“My final opinion is it was asphyxia, associated with cypermethrin poisoning,” Sheshiah said. He also complained that police rushed him to make a final judgement before a toxicology report in June revealed fatal levels of the pesticide cypermethrin.

Four days after the death, Mr Sheshiah ruled Woolmer had been strangled, setting off a media frenzy and a wide-ranging murder investigation.

In June, authorities ended the inquiry after independent pathologists from South Africa, Canada and Britain submitted reports concluding the 58-year-old coach died from natural causes.

Mr Sheshiah told the inquest in Kingston, Jamaica, the effects of cypermethrin, taken orally, would be consistent with the vomit that witnesses described seeing in Woolmer’s room. He also stood by his contention that Woolmer was strangled, citing a broken bone in his neck.

The 65-year-old recently suffered a mild stroke and remained seated throughout his testimony. Other doctors testifying at the inquest into Woolmer’s death said they found no evidence of a broken bone or other signs of injury and have disputed Mr Sheshiah’s autopsy.