The Fast Bowler Who Inspired Afghanistan's Cricket Revolution: Shapoor Zadran Dies

Shapoor Zadran, the Afghanistan fast bowler who inspired a generation of cricketers and played a key role in the country's cricket rise, has died at 38. Remembering the 2015 World Cup hero's journey, achievements and legacy.

Shapoor Zadran (Image Source: Google)

Former Afghanistan left arm fast bowler Shapoor Zadran has died. He was under treatment for a rare immune condition (in which the immune system starts failing) in New Delhi and died one day short of his 39th birthday.

Shaoor was among the foundation-laying figures of Afghanistan cricket and one of the most recognizable faces of Afghanistan's cricket in the years of their rise (in the 2000s and 2010s).

He was often referred to as the Wasim Akram of Afghanistan. 6'2" tall, sprinting in a long run, his long hair flowing, was also the first Afghanistan player to feature in an overseas league, in Bangladesh. He was so popular that an Afghan billionaire, Mirwais Azizi (a UAE resident) bore the entire cost of his treatment in India.

He represented Afghanistan in 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is between 2009 and 2020 and claimed 80 wickets. He was the cricketer who hit the winning runs to seal his country's first World Cup win, when Afghanistan beat Scotland in 2015. This was the only World Cup he played and claimed 10 wickets, most for Afghanistan in the event. He also played in four T20 World Cups (from 2010 to 2016) and recorded 9 wickets in 9 matches.

He is known for mentoring many younger players, including Rashid Khan, Asghar Afghan and many others. This year, when the Afghanistan team visited India, their captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, head coach Richard Pybus, Qais Ahmed and Zia Sharif visited him in hospital.

Shapoor was born in the Logar Province of Afghanistan but, due to the instability in the country, his family shifted to Peshawar in Pakistan, and he developed his game there, with the hope of playing for Pakistan one day. However, with improvement in Afghanistan, he returned and made his ODI debut against the Netherlands in August 2009, recording 4-24, his career-best figures, one of the few cases where a player’s best performance was in his debut match.

Within a few months, he made his T20I debut (against Ireland) and his best (3-40) in this format came in a win against Bangladesh in Dehradun in 2018.

Shapoor fell ill last October and was advised to move to India for advanced treatment. His visa was fast-tracked and even ICC chair Jay Shah helped. Initially he responded to the treatment and was discharged after a few weeks. Within a few days, he got the infection again and was admitted to hospital again, not to return.

Before Shapoor Zadran, a non-Indian cricketer Simi Singh (Ireland) was also treated in an Indian hospital (2024) after he faced life-threatening health circumstances (acute liver failure which required a transplant). He was unwell in Ireland for some time. After that, he returned to his native India for treatment.

Shapoor died a day before his 39th birthday and, in view of his age, the first thought was he may be the youngest Afghanistan player to depart. In fact, he is not. Some facts related to ODI cricketers who have died:

*The first Afghanistan cricketer to die was Najeeb Tarakai, who was born on 2 Feb 1991, made his debut on 24 Mar 2017 and died on 6 Oct 2020 aged 29 years and 247 days.

* Shapoor Zadran is the second Afghanistan cricketer to die. He was born on July 8, 1987, made his debut on 30 August 2009 and died July 7, 2026, aged 38y 364 days.

* The last non-Indian cricketer to die in India was former Australia batsman Dean Jones, who died in September 2020. Jones had suffered a heart attack in Mumbai, while working as a TV commentator in the IPL.

* The first ODI cricketer to die was D Pringle of East Africa, and he died on 4 Oct 1975, after having last played on 14 June 1975, at the age of 43 years and 156 days.

* The youngest to die was Manjural Islam Rana of Bangladesh. He made his debut on 7 November 2003 and died on 16 Mar 2007 at the age of 22 years and 316 days.

*The first Indian cricketer to die was Raman Lamba. His last ODI appearance was on 22 December 1989, and he died on 22 Feb 1998 aged 38 years and 51 days.

*There are two cricketers who didn’t survive even for 1 year after making their debut. D Pringle of East Africa survived for only 115 days after making his debut on 14 Jun 1975, aged 43 years and 156 days. Similarly, DLS de Silva of Sri Lanka survived for only 308 days after making his debut on 9 Jun 1979, at the age of 23 years and 147 days.

*There are 12 cricketers who survived for 50 years after making their ODI debut:

Australia: KR Stackpole (54-107), IR Red path (53-331), RW Marsh (51-58), AA Mallett (50-297)

England: P Lever (54-81), JA Jameson (52-6), R Illingworth (50-354), DL Underwood (50-272)

West Indies: BD Julien (52-29)

New Zealand: BF Hastings (51-239)

India: Abid Ali (50-242). He also holds the record for the oldest Indian cricketer to die. He was born on 9 September 1941 and died on 12 March 2025 at the age of 83 years and 184 days.

Sri Lanka DS de Silva (50-191)

The oldest ODI cricketer to die was R Illingworth of England. He was born on 8 June 1932 and played 3 ODIs after making his debut on 5 Jan1971 (First ODI ever played) and died on 25 December 2021 at the age of 89 years and 200 days, one of two cricketers who lived 89+ years.