Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran passes away at 38 following a prolonged illness

Shapoor Zadran, a former fast bowler for Afghanistan, passed away on Tuesday, July 7, at the age of 38, following a prolonged illness. An illness of the immune system known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) was plaguing Zadran. He was being treated at the Delhi-NCR region for the past few months. Afghanistan Cricket Board made the harrowing announcement of his demise on X. "Shapoor Zadran was one of the founding figures of Afghanistan cricket. His dedication, enthusiasm, and unwavering commitment were crucial to the rise and development of the sport in our country. According to the ACB, "He was among the proud cricketers who stood at the center of Afghanistan's early cricket journey and helped build the path that brought Afghan cricket to the international stage." Zadran had a decade-long international career where he picked 43 wickets in 44 ODIs and 37 wickets in 36 T20Is between 2009 and 2020. In addition, Zadran is well-known for scoring the winning runs in Afghanistan's historic victory over Scotland in the 2015 ODI World Cup. "Beyond what he accomplished on the field, Shapoor Zadran was a true source of inspiration for many young Afghan cricketers and cricket fans worldwide. The ACB stated in a statement that "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."