The Afghanistan Cricket Board is mourning the loss of a former fast-paced bowler. On Tuesday, former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran died at age 38 from the autoimmune disorder that is known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). He was under treatment in the Delhi NCR area for the last few months.
It had been a heart-wrenching loss for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) which confirmed the tragedy in a statement, honouring one of the trailblazers of Afghan cricket. Then the board called Zadran a much-needed personality, an epitaph of dedication and value in the development of the remarkable proficiency of Afghanistan in international cricket.
Shapoor Zadran was a member of Afghanistan’s international team for over a decade from 2009 to 2020. In his career he took 43 wickets in 44 ODI matches and 37 wickets in 36 T20s to emerge as one of the top Australian fast bowlers.
He accomplished one iconic moment when, during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, he hit the winning runs against Scotland to give Afghanistan their first ever World Cup win.
The ACB, at its tribute, indicated that a generation of Afghan cricketers has been inspired by Zadran fighting spirit, determination and passion within the cricket. But his involvement extended beyond figures because he significantly helped place Afghanistan on the cricket map, during the formative years of the sport in the nation.
The cricket community has paid tribute to him, with former teammates and peers within the sport honored him for his hard work and contributions to the sport, which will continue to be remembered by future generations of Afghan crickers.