Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran dies at 38 years old

Former Afghanistan international fast bowler Shapoor Zadran has passed away at the age of 38 after a protracted illness.

Zadran died in New Delhi on July 7, one day shy of his 39th birthday.

Zadran, at over six feet tall, was famed for his aggressive fast bowling, long flowing hair and fierce demeanor on the field. He was instrumental in the initial emergence of the Afghanistan national cricket team in the world.

Zadran started his cricketing life in Peshawar, where he resided as a refugee in Pakistan. In his early playing days he played alongside future Afghanistan players as Mohammad Nabi, Asghar Afghan and Dawlat Zadran.

In 44 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 36 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) between 2009 and 2020, Zadran was a big contributor for Afghanistan during an era of transformation for Afghan cricket.

He was being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in New Delhi for Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a rare and life-threatening immune system illness, sources said.

The cricketing community has been mourning his loss with fans and former teammates hailing him as one of the trailblazers who helped put Afghanistan on the map as a competitive force in