Pakistan cricket team manager Talat Ali (left) and ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday. - Reuters

LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) chief executive officer (CEO) Malcolm Speed yesterday dismissed spec-ulation that the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel would interrupt the games in this year's Cricket World Cup.

Woolmer was strangled to death in his hotel room on Sunday morning, a day after a surprise defeat by Ireland. Jamaican police confirmed Woolmer's cause of death at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus last night.

Despite mourning the loss of Woolmer, Speed said the games must go on.

"The matches will continue even though we've had a huge shock," said Speed.

"It's a challenge for the game to face up to this, to be resolute, to be strong and to finish the World Cup in good spirit."

Cricket World Cup CEO Chris Dehring said the rest of the World Cup should be played as a tribute to Woolmer.

"It is for us to lift the gloom from the tournament and to continue in Bob's honour to make sure that his death isn't seen as the sole thing that has taken place here," said Dehring.

"The tournament was on its way to being a great one and it is for us to continue in a professional manner."

Speed said he knows the incident will be on the minds and lips of the public and players but that their aim is to get the focus back on cricket.

"I'm sure all the participants will reflect on what happened here," he said. "We will do that with shock and outrage and great sadness, but perhaps it will be a measure of the game and its resolve how well we can complete this World Cup."

Speed also admitted cricket did have a problem with corruption, but insisted it was too early to decide if that was related to Woolmer's death.

"We don't know whether this is corruption related at this stage, we can't jump to conclusions," he added.