Former South African cricket captain Clive Rice says he has "absolutely no doubt" Pakistan coach Woolmer was killed because he knew too much about match-fixing.

"Bob knew a lot of what went on during the match-fixing scandal in which Hansie Cronje was nailed," Rice told The Argus newspaper in South Africa.

Woolmer had been coach of South Africa at the time of Cronje's activities, but had returned to England to coach county side Warwickshire by the time the news broke in 2000. Rice was then coaching neighbouring Nottinghamshire.

"We were actually involved in a match in England at the time and Bob and I discussed it. He told me a lot that never came out," Rice said.

"I'm not just talking about other players being involved, but officials too", Rice said.

Rice said he found it odd that Woolmer was never called as a witness at the King commission into the match-fixing scandal, which he said was stopped abruptly once "Cronje had taken the fall".

Rice also believes Cronje's death in a plane crash in 2002 was no accident.

"Like Woolmer, he knew a lot more of what was going on. His so-called accident was just a lot cleverer than the one that killed Bob."

Rice said it was his belief that Woolmer was killed before he could blow the whistle on what went on in Pakistan's shock World Cup defeat by Ireland on March 17.

Investigators in Kingston say they are examining possible connection to match fixing.

"Of course it's one of our lines of inquiry," said Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields.

He has consulted Jeff Rees, the chief investigator of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, who is currently in Kingston.

"One aspect is, what were the odds on Ireland if Ireland won? I understand that they were extremely good if you bet on Ireland," Shields told the London Observer.

Woolmer had just finished writing a book shortly before his death, but his widow Gill and sons Dale and Russell insist there was nothing in the manuscript that could have led anyone to want him killed.

Meanwhile, detectives continue to examine security footage from the time leading up to the discovery of Woolmer's body in his hotel room on the 12th floor of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

"It's critically important because it may give us an image of the killer or killers," Shields said.

"I'm very optimistic that if the quality (of the video) is as good as I hope it is, then that would help us significantly in the investigation as to who exactly went onto the 12th floor," he said.

Police say there was no sign of forced entry, suggesting the burly 58-year-old Englishman may have known whoever killed him. No suspects have been identified.

Shields, a former Scotland Yard investigator, said the video shows only the corridors at the end of Woolmer's floor - not the door to his room or others.

"But at least it will give us a good indication of who went on those floors," he said.

Pakistan's team was allowed to leave the island on Saturday, hours after investigators questioned captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, caretaker coach Mushtaq Ahmed and manager Talat Ali for a second time.

"There is nothing to suggest any of them is a suspect at this stage," Shields said.

Police earlier fingerprinted and took DNA samples from all team members.

Shields defended the decision to allow them to leave, which he said avoided "a significant diplomatic incident".

There would have been an uproar "if I had started holding people against their will," Shields added.

He conceded that the absence of players and others could complicate the investigation.

"This is an extraordinary investigation in that many of the potential witnesses are leaving the island," he said. "The fact that people have left Jamaica doesn't mean the inquiry stops."

Shields said police plan to interview more possible witnesses and are awaiting results of DNA and toxicology tests. He also planned to meet with Pakistani diplomats who arrived in Jamaica on the weekend.

Pakistani diplomat Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri pledged full support for the investigation but declined to say whether his government would extradite any team members if asked by Jamaica.

"Since there are no suspects on the Pakistan cricket team, it's premature to talk about that," he said.

"The team is devastated," he added. "They are traumatised."

Woolmer's body will remain on the island until the conclusion of a coroner's inquest, which authorities said will be held as soon as possible.

Meanwhile the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Shaharyar Khan, said Woolmer's authority had been undermined by Inzamam's "spiritual hold of the team.

"He found that the captain's spiritual hold on the team prevented his holding full sway with the players, especially the senior members," Shaharyar wrote on the cricket website Cricinfo.

"Bob had some cricketing differences with Inzamam-ul-Haq but these were addressed through dialogue and mutual understanding, even though for days the captain would go into a brooding silence while Bob attempted to overcome the problem through rational discussion."

Khan also revealed that Woolmer offered to quit last year over a ball-tampering scandal in England which led to the only forfeiture of a test match in cricket history.

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