CRICKET coach Bob Woolmer may have been murdered by someone he knew, police revealed today.

The theory comes after a post-mortem confirmed the Pakistan team coach had been strangled at his hotel room in Jamaica.

And it has heightened speculation the murder was linked to alleged match-fixing in the sport.

Jamaica's deputy police commissioner Mark Shields said: "It seems difficult to believe a complete stranger killed him.

"He clearly let somebody into his hotel room and it may be that he knew that person."

Mr Shields said there was no sign of a forced entry into Mr Woolmer's room and none of his possessions had been taken, pointing to the possibility he knew his killer.

Police are sifting through video recordings from the hotel CCTV but have found no suspicious footage so far.

Mr Shields also dismissed reports on a Pakistani TV station that a non-Jamaican national had been arrested and that a copy of Mr Woolmer's book manuscript - which included details of match-fixing - was missing.

Mr Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Sunday, the day after Pakistan's shock World Cup defeat to cricket minnows Ireland.

Despite desperate attempts to revive him on the way to hospital, he later died.

Mr Shields said the Pakistan cricket party and other hotel guests had been quizzed by police.

Police said it was possible more than one person was involved in the murder, as Mr Woolmer was a big man and it would have taken "significant force" to subdue him.

However, there was no sign of a struggle in his hotel room.

British police have volunteered to help with the investigation and retired Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Condon is on standby to fly to Jamaica.

Lord Condon was commissioned by the International Cricket Council to write a report into cricketing corruption in 2001.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said nobody could leap to the conclusion corruption was involved in the murder.