The astonishing story of Ireland's cricketers at the World Cup in the Caribbean continued yesterday against a backdrop of match-fixing slurs and a possible murder investigation.
Ireland's passage to the Super Eights, the tournament's second round, appeared certain as nearest rivals Zimbabwe struggled against Pakistan in a match delayed by rain in Kingston, Jamaica.
A win for Pakistan would send Ireland through to the next stage to play a further six games against the biggest cricketing nations in the world over the next four weeks.
However, since the weekend, sport has been overtaken by an extraordinary series of events.
On Sunday, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room and was later pronounced dead.
A coroner's inquest and autopsy, compulsory under Jamaican law, was carried out and on Tuesday night came the news that police were treating the former England cricketer's death as suspicious.
The news was met with disbelief from the Irish players. Team captain Trent Johnston, whose room at the players' hotel was two doors from the incident scene, said: "It makes me sick to think about it."
In the vacuum created by the absence of facts, rumour has spread, with whispers about match-fixing allegations.
The Irish team plays its final group game against hosts West Indies tomorrow.
Assuming the team progresses to the next stage of the tournament, an itinerary taking in the Caribbean islands of Grenada and Barbados will follow.
Supported by the 1,000 travelling supporters, the Irish team's games have been the good news story of the event, culminating in a long and loud St Patrick's Day celebration at the beach resort of Ochos Rios.
The team is predominantly made up of part-time players who balance their cricketing commitments with full-time careers.
Having been on the road since early January, another four weeks away would test the finances of the Irish Cricket Union which recompenses the players' employers for their absence.
Yesterday brought the sad news that former Irish Cricket Union chairman Bob Kerr had died. Mr Kerr was in the Caribbean on holiday as one of the group supporting the Irish team.