Former Afghanistan cricketer Shapoor Zadran passed away after suffering from prolonged illness. He was only 38.
Shapoor Zadran passes away the day before his 39th birthday
On July 7, the eve of his 39th birthday, former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran passed away in Delhi. He had been having a long struggle with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in a Delhi hospital.
A tall, strapping left-arm fast bowler with a characteristic mane, Shapoor had played 80 times across the two limited-overs formats between 2009 and 2020. This included four T20 World Cups, between 2010 and 2016, and the 2015 World Cup (Afghanistan’s first). His 43 ODI wickets came at 36.95, while he had 37 T20I wickets at 7.83 an over.
Shapoor formally retired from all cricket in 2025. His brother Ghamai is also a domestic cricketer.
Shapoor’s most memorable performance came during the 2015 World Cup, where he picked up 10 wickets (the most for Afghanistan) at 26.50 and an economy of 5.19. Afghanistan beat Scotland in that edition: it was their first ever World Cup win. After claiming 4-38, No.11 Shapoor joined No.10 Hamid Hassan with 19 runs still to be scored. He hit the winning boundary.
When Afghanistan toured India in June 2026 to play a Test match and three ODIs, several members of the side had visited Shapoor at the hospital. In a poignant tribute, the national board acknowledged him as “one of the foundation-laying members of Afghanistan cricket, whose dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment played a vital role in the rise and development of the game” in the country.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
