Former Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran, one of the most recognisable figures from the country’s early rise in international cricket, is battling for his life in a New Delhi hospital, with his family now issuing an urgent appeal for A-positive blood donors.
Zadran, who has been undergoing treatment in India since January for Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune disorder, is in a concerning condition, his younger brother Ghamai Zadran said in an emotional appeal on Instagram.
Shapoor Zadran’s family makes urgent blood appeal in Delhi
“My brother, national hero Shapoor Zadran, is currently in a concerning health condition,” Ghamai wrote, urging people in Delhi to come forward.
“With your prayers, we stand by our national hero. Due to a deficiency and urgent need, he is in critical need of blood,” he added.
The family has specifically requested help from people in New Delhi with A-positive blood group.
“If any friends are residing in New Delhi, India, and have blood group A positive (+A), please kindly do not hesitate to donate this to our national hero,” Ghamai said.
The latest appeal comes months after Shapoor was brought to India for specialised treatment following medical advice in Afghanistan. According to his family, the former left-arm fast bowler first fell ill in October last year before doctors later diagnosed him with stage-four HLH.
The disorder causes the immune system to become dangerously overactive, attacking healthy organs and tissues. It can lead to severe inflammation and damage to the bone marrow, liver and spleen. Shapoor was brought to Delhi on January 18 and was immediately admitted to intensive care.
“Our doctor in Afghanistan advised us to come to India. Everyone said the treatment here is very good,” Ghamai had earlier said.
The Afghanistan cricket fraternity has remained in close contact with the family through the difficult period. Senior figures, including Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Asghar Afghan, have been in touch as Shapoor continues his treatment in Delhi.
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For Afghanistan cricket, Shapoor is not merely a former player. He belongs to the generation that gave the country its first real identity on the international stage. Before Afghanistan became a force through Rashid, Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and others, Shapoor was among the faces who carried the team’s emotional rise from associate cricket into the global conversation.
A tall left-arm pacer with an unmistakable run-up and strong presence, Shapoor played 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is for Afghanistan between 2009 and 2020. His most enduring cricketing memory came during the 2015 ODI World Cup, when Afghanistan defeated Scotland by one wicket in Dunedin to register their first-ever World Cup victory.
Shapoor Zadran was at the crease when Afghanistan completed that historic chase. The image of him celebrating after the winning runs remains one of the defining moments of Afghanistan’s early cricket story.
Now, the family’s appeal has shifted attention from his cricketing past to an immediate medical need in Delhi. Ghamai said his brother has continued to show the same resilience that marked his playing career.
“He’s fighting very hard, just like he did in cricket. He never complains about pain or difficulty,” he had said.