Former Pakistan skipper Younis Khan has claimed that the nation's cricket would have attained unprecedented success if the late head coach, Bob Woolmer, was still alive.

Woolmer, who served Pakistan as head coach from 2004 to 2007, was spotted dead in his Jamaican hotel room shortly after his team's shocking defeat against Ireland during the 2007 World Cup.

As a result of that loss, the Men in Green were knocked out of the marquee event in the group stage.

The untimely demise of Woolmer left a big void in Pakistan's cricketing landscape, and Younis' statement suggests that his presence could have helped the team achieve greater feats.

"I have no doubt that if Woolmer had remained head coach, Pakistan cricket would have been very different today, and he would have taken it to great heights," PTI quoted Younis as saying on a Pakistani TV channel.

Younis expressed his displeasure with the inadequate backing the players got from their officials during the probe that followed Woolmer's passing.

He felt that the authorities should have been more supportive towards the team during that challenging phase.

"I was very close to Bob (Woolmer) and it was our daily routine to sit down together after a match or nets to discuss cricket. Unfortunately the night he passed away, we didn't sit together as we had lost to Ireland. I was also out for a duck and was very upset with myself. So, I went to my room and locked myself in. Next day, I didn't see him at breakfast and later we learnt about his death," he remarked.

Younis revealed that the tragic turn of events in the West Indies led him to reconsider his decision to captain Pakistan for an extended period.

After Woolmer’s demise, the Pakistan Cricket Board and the government sent their own security personnel to the Caribbean to collaborate with the Jamaican police. The investigation eventually came to a conclusion that his death was due to natural causes.

Younis said Woolmer was preparing him mentally to take up the role of Pakistan's captain across all formats in the wake of the 2007 World Cup.

"After what all happened in the World Cup, I changed my mind and I became a reluctant captain and had no long-term tenure in mind."

Younis revealed that after Woolmer's passing, the entire Pakistan team was shifted to a different island, where the local authorities interrogated them for a period of three days.

"It was like a torture for us there. While I fully understand the responsibilities a player has to show as an ambassador of his country, it should be the other way round... authorities must also look after us," he stated.