Former JCT600 Bradford League player and highly-respected cricket coach Numan Shabbir has died after losing his battle with leukaemia.

Shabbir, who made a huge contribution to black and ethnic minority cricket, had successful spells as an all-rounder with Eccleshill, Manningham Mills, Salts and Idle.

He also competed for Holmfirth and Shelley in the Drakes Huddersfield League but wherever he played his engaging smile and courteous manner made him a popular figure.

The pinnacle of his career was coaching the Pakistan under-17 team, a role which saw him have an impact on the careers of some of his country’s finest cricketers, while he also coached the nation’s women’s team.

Among the players Shabbir gave help to in Bradford during his formative cricketing days was current Yorkshire all-rounder Adil Rashid.

Shabbir’s coaching skills saw him lead a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging youngsters from black and ethnic minorities to play the game he loved.

He was a member of the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s black and ethnic minority panel and he was development centre director.