Tributes pour in after death of popular cricketer Bilal Malik

LOCAL CRICKET has been saddened to learn of the death of Bilal Malik at the age of 23 after losing a battle to cancer.

Bilal, who came to Oldham as an 11-year-old from Pakistan, played for Glodwick and was well known throughout the Saddleworth and District Cricket League.

sport cricket Bilal
Bilal Malik

He joined Glodwick in 2007 and his bowling exploits saw him selected to represent the league’s colts side.

Within 12 months of joining the club, Bilal was playing open-age cricket for the second team and it was not long before he graduated to the first team.

He became an integral part of the team, setting high standards in the field, which was losing finalists in the 2012 Tanner Cup, league runners up in 2013 and champions in 2014.

The bald facts of Bilal as a cricketer do not, though, tell anywhere near the story. His attitude and enthusiasm for the club were infectious, his manners were impeccable and the standards that he set for others inside the club were exemplary.

He played a full part in the life of Glodwick, whether running a half marathon to raise funds, designing posters to promote the club or taking part in the annual tour of the south of England. He also excelled academically and was about to embark on a degree course, having worked over several years to fund his education.

Bilal started to become ill during August 2014 and, despite treatment at Fairfield Hospital and finally at Christie’s, doctors were unable to diagnose the precise strain of the cancer from which he died last month.

It was a measure of the esteem in which Bilal was held that over 500 mourners attended his funeral service at Ronald Street mosque before his body was flown to Pakistan for burial.

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