"The coroner has been advised that there are recent and significant developments concerning the death of Mr. Robert Woolmer," the Jamaican Justice Ministry said in a statement issued late on Thursday.

• Reports on Woolmer's murder

"The coroner wishes that these new and significant developments be pursued with the utmost urgency, taking into account that the officer in charge has advised that these new developments are critical to the progress and the eventual results of the investigations themselves.

"If it becomes necessary for an inquest to be held after the new and material developments have been investigated, then another date for the holding of the inquest will be appointed."

PRONOUNCED DEAD

Briton Woolmer was found lifeless in his Kingston hotel room on March 18 and later pronounced dead in hospital.

His death, which was being treated by Jamaican police as murder by strangulation, has cast a pall on the World Cup tournament which culminates after seven weeks with the final in Barbados on April 28.

Woolmer's Pakistan team had been eliminated from the tournament the day before his death after a shock defeat to debutants Ireland.

Media around the world have speculated that his death was linked to a "betting mafia" in the sport but Woolmer's widow Gill said that she knew of no threats from such a source.

On Friday, the British tabloid The Sun, quoted unnamed Jamaican police sources saying that they were sure Woolmer had been poisoned.

It said a deadly substance, aconite, had been found in toxicology samples from his body.

The Irish team, who were staying at the same hotel as Woolmer, were fingerprinted and gave DNA samples to Jamaican police this week.

A statement given to Reuters on Thursday by the Irish team management said they were away from the hotel around the period Woolmer was murdered.

Jamaican police had said previously that all guests and staff at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston at the time Woolmer was staying there would be similarly tested as part of the investigation.