Shapoor Zadran: A piece of sad news for the cricket world came on Tuesday from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), confirming that former pacer Shapoor Zadran has passed away after a long bout with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).
In January, Zadran had moved to Delhi with his younger brother Ghamai Zadran for treatment. He was suffering from an advanced form of HLH, which is an uncommon disease in which the immune system starts failing.
The ACB paid a rich tribute to Zadran in its statement:
“Shapoor Zadran was one of the foundation-laying figures of Afghanistan cricket, whose dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment played a vital role in the rise and development of the game in our country. He was among the proud cricketers who stood at the heart of Afghanistan’s early cricket journey and helped build the path that brought Afghan cricket to the international stage.
“Throughout his career, Shapoor served Afghanistan cricket with honor, courage, and pride. His contributions and achievements will always remain an important part of the history of Afghanistan cricket, and his efforts in the service of the national team will never be forgotten.”
Idolised Shoaib Akhtar, Shapoor Zadran was a key player in Afghanistan’s early years in international cricket
Born in the Logar Province of Afghanistan in 1987, Shapoor moved to Peshawar in Pakistan and began playing leather ball cricket in 2001 at the Arbab Niaz Stadium and Gymkhana.
Zadran idolised Shoaib Akhtar, who was at his peak when Zadran began bowling, and he even wanted to play for Pakistan but moved back to Afghanistan.
Shapoor debuted in ODIs for Afghanistan in 2009 and took 4/24 on debut, which would eventually remain his career-best ODI figures. The left-arm fast bowler got his maiden T20I cap in 2010.
A 6’2” tall specimen with long hair, Shapoor often stood out (literally) as a figure of conspicuousness in the Afghanistan team. He featured in 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is for Afghanistan, claiming 43 and 37 wickets, respectively, in the two formats from 2009 to 2020, and was an important figure during Afghanistan’s early years in international cricket.
Shapoor was part of one ODI World Cup, in 2015, and four T20 World Cups between 2010 and 2016.
He is remembered specifically for hitting the winning runs in Afghanistan’s maiden World Cup match victory against Scotland in 2015. That would remain Afghanistan’s only victory across the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
“Beyond his achievements on the field, Shapoor Zadran was a true source of inspiration for many young Afghan cricketers and for cricket followers across the world. His fighting spirit, determination, and love for the game gave hope to many and encouraged a generation to dream bigger and believe in the future of Afghanistan cricket,” the ACB added.
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