Shapoor Zadran never quite looked like the gentle giant he actually was.
To those standing at the other end of the pitch, he was Afghanistan’s intimidating left-arm quick — tall, broad-shouldered, with long flowing hair and a fierce stare.
Naturally, his teammates loved teasing opposition batters. “Never make Shapoor angry,” they would joke. “He’ll make your life miserable.”
That intimidating persona, however, rarely showed once the stumps were drawn. Behind the imposing frame was a man of few words, unfailingly polite and blessed with a disarming smile.
During one conversation at Afghanistan’s training base in Greater Noida, I asked him whether he thought batters were intimidated by his height even before he began his run-up.
He smiled, shrugged and replied, “Maybe… who knows.”
On Tuesday, Afghanistan lost one of the architects of its cricketing revolution. Shapoor passed away in a hospital in Greater Noida after a prolonged battle with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune disorder. He was 38, just a day short of his 39th birthday.
Shapoor had been undergoing treatment in India since January after initially being diagnosed with a severe tuberculosis infection that later progressed into advanced HLH. Despite brief signs of recovery, his condition worsened over the past few weeks.
READ: Shapoor Zadran, former Afghanistan fast bowler, dies at 38
The numbers tell only part of Shapoor’s story. They deserve mention nonetheless. Between 2009 and 2020, he represented Afghanistan in 80 internationals — 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is — taking 43 ODI wickets and 37 T20I wickets. He featured in three T20 World Cups and was one of the heroes of Afghanistan’s first-ever men’s ODI World Cup victory, striking the winning boundary against Scotland in Dunedin in 2015.
But statistics scarcely explain what Shapoor meant to Afghanistan cricket.
He belonged to what many still regard as the country’s golden generation, comprising the likes of Mohammad Nabi, Asghar Afghan, Nawroz Mangal, Samiullah Shinwari and others who dared to dream when Afghanistan was still climbing through the Associate ranks. While others built innings or marshalled the side, it was Shapoor who often set the tone, charging in with the new ball, embodying the fight that came to define Afghan cricket.
Former Afghanistan captain Raees Ahmadzai struggled to hold back his emotions when speaking to Sports stars. “I lost my best friend. There are so many memories with him…” he said.
One such memory that stays with many is from a terrifying afternoon in Kabul.
During the 2022 Shpageeza Cricket League, an explosion ripped through the Kabul International Stadium during the innings break of a match, injuring spectators and triggering panic inside the venue. As thousands rushed for safety, players and officials were left stunned.
My old friend and now noted commentator Devender Kumar, who was on the panel that day, recalled how one player stood out amid the chaos.
“The players were understandably shaken, but Shapoor appealed to the crowd to leave the stadium calmly. Only after the area had been cleared and the situation was brought under control did the match resume,” Devender said.
Even amid fear and uncertainty, Shapoor’s first instinct was to reassure others.
The news of his passing also brought back another memory.
A few years ago, Devender was in Kabul on another assignment when he called one morning. Before we could exchange pleasantries, another familiar voice came on the line.
“Bhaihow are you? Hope you remember me…”
It was Shapoor.
There was no occasion, no formality. Years had passed since we had first met, but seemingly he hadn’t forgotten the encounter. That simple gesture said more about the man than any cricket statistic ever could.
The world will remember Shapoor for the thunderbolts with the new ball, the flowing hair, the World Cup heroics and the role he played in Afghanistan’s extraordinary rise.
But those who knew him will remember something far more enduring — a loyal friend, a gentle soul and a fighter until the very end.
