Mushtaq Ahmed gave champagne bottles to Woolmer: Pak TV channel

A private Pakistani television channel today claimed that the national cricket teams bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed, had passed two champagne bottles, which reportedly had poisonous substance, to coach Bob Woolmer.

Islamabad/New Delhi, May 10 : A private Pakistani television channel today claimed that the national cricket team's bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed, had passed two champagne bottles, which reportedly had poisonous substance, to coach Bob Woolmer.

Pakistan's media manager for the World Cup Pervez Mir Ahmed was quoted as saying by ARY TV that Mushtaq had received two champagne bottles from some other person, which he later passed on to Woolmer,

Team manager Talat Ali was a witness to the incident, Mir said, adding, "As far as I know Woolmer was not a champagne drinker".

He further said that only Ali and Mushtaq Ahmed knew the identity of the person who gave the bottles to the latter.

Interestingly, Mir revealed that Woolmer rarely consumed champagne.

Meanwhile, Indian private news channel CNN-IBN quoted Mir as saying that it should not be assumed by the incident that Mushtaq is a suspect in the murder case.

"There were two bottles given to Mushtaq, but he doesn't drink. So he sent it to Woolmer. Mushtaq cannot be looked at as a suspect. Gifting of champagne doesn't mean anything," he told the Indian channel.

ANI