Shapoor Zadran, former Afghanistan pacer, passes away at 38 after battle with rare immune disorder

Shapoor Zadran passed away at the age of 38. The towering left-arm fast bowler, who helped drag Afghanistan cricket onto the world stage, died at a New Delhi hospital, one day short of his 39th birthday. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed his passing on Tuesday, closing the chapter on a months-long battle with a rare and aggressive immune disorder.

Shapoor Zadran dies at 38: Remembering the fast bowler who helped Afghanistan reach the world stage

Shapoor’s health problems first surfaced in October 2025. What began as a troubling decline eventually led doctors to a diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) - a rare condition in which the immune system spirals out of control, triggering severe inflammation that can damage the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. By the time he sought advanced treatment, his case had progressed to stage four.

Afghanistan star Rashid Khan and ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf helped expedite his visa when his health deteriorated. And he was then transferred to a hospital in New Delhi on January 18, 2026. Since May, he has been in the intensive care unit. Along the way, doctors discovered that he caught the dengue fever, and his already dangerous condition was made worse by a dramatic decline in his red blood cell count. Even though he occasionally exhibited progress, recurrent illness proved to be too much for him.

Long before he became a name associated with courage off the field, Shapoor was one of the faces of Afghanistan's rise on it. Standing 6’2” and instantly recognisable for his long hair flowing behind him as he sprinted in off a lengthy run-up, he represented his country in 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is between 2009 and 2020, finishing with 80 international wickets across formats.

Shapoor leaves behind a legacy as one of the pioneers who helped transform Afghanistan from cricketing outsiders into a nation capable of competing — and winning — on the world stage.

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