da realsbet： Aamer Bashir, a first-class stalwart in Pakistan, lost a long-running battle to cancer on Monday morning. He was 38
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2010Aamer Bashir, a first-class stalwart in Pakistan, lost a long-running battle to cancer on Monday morning. He was 38.Bashir, from Multan, was a prolific middle-order batsman through the 1990s and 2000s, making a name for himself initially with Multan, United Bank Limited and Pakistan Customs.He was, according to domestic team-mates, a man for a crisis, regularly bailing out sides with faltering top orders. He was as adept at stemming a collapse as launching a counter and his limited overs record – he averaged just under 40 in 50-over games – is testament to his attacking instincts.He was good enough to be on the fringes of Pakistan selection for a sustained period in the earlier part of the decade; Pakistan’s middle-order strength was such, however, that the closest he got was being selected in Pakistan’s squad for the one-off ODI against India in Kolkata in November 2005.But deteriorating health steadily brought him down. He played his last first-class game in February 2009 and continued playing league cricket in England. His best days were, however, gone and he had been fighting cancer on and off by then.He was a popular team-man and over the years friends such as Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Rashid Latif and Basit Ali – all current or former Pakistan internationals – worked hard to ensure he received proper medical treatment.