ICC Cricket World Cup: ICC chairman Jay Shah paid tribute to former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran following his death at the age of 38, remembering him as one of the key figures behind Afghanistan's remarkable rise in international cricket.
Zadran passed away in India on Tuesday after a prolonged illness, a day before his 39th birthday. The left-arm pacer, who represented Afghanistan in 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is between 2009 and 2020, had been undergoing treatment in a New Delhi hospital after being diagnosed with stage four Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune disorder. He had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in May after his condition worsened following recurring infections, dengue and a severe drop in his red blood cell count.
His health problems began in October last year, after which he was advised to seek treatment in India. With the support of Afghanistan star Rashid Khan and Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf, his visa was fast-tracked, enabling him to be admitted to a New Delhi hospital in January.