![Rashid Khan and Afghan cricketers break down in tears [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1783597158462_Afghanteamcriesandbreaksdown.jpg?type=hq)
Rashid Khan and Afghan cricketers break down in tears [Source: X]
On Thursday morning at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan’s cricketing family gathered as the body of former fast bowler Shapoor Zadran had come home. Two days earlier, on July 7, 2026, the 38-year-old lost a months-long battle with a rare immune disorder in India.
As his coffin was carefully lowered from the aircraft, the composure of his former teammates shattered. Icons like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and a generation of Afghan stars wept openly to bid the cricketer his final adieu.
What Happened To Shapoor Zadran?
Shapoor Zadran passed away after a prolonged fight against Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, a rare and aggressive immune system disorder.
In HLH, the body’s defence cells become dangerously overactive and begin attacking healthy tissue, causing severe inflammation. The disease can rapidly damage the liver, lungs, kidneys and brain, often leading to multi-organ failure.
Shapoor first fell ill in October 2025. Doctors in Afghanistan recommended urgent advanced care in India. He was admitted to a hospital in the Delhi-NCR region, where he initially responded well and was discharged.
Weeks later, his health declined sharply, forcing him to resume intensive treatment. Despite months of dedicated medical effort, his body could no longer withstand the illness.
He breathed his last in India, surrounded by a small circle of close family. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed his passing with a statement filled with sorrow, calling him a founding pillar of the nation’s cricketing rise.
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Afghanistan Players Break Down In Tears
Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmat Shah, Hamid Hassan, Nawroz Mangal, and many other Afghan cricketers were in tears as they waited for the late Shapoor Zadran’s coffin to be brought out of the plane at Kabul Airport.
The players stood side by side, many unable to hold back sobs, with Rashid Khan in visible pain from the loss. Khan looked visibly broken. Other players like Nabi and Gurbaz were also seen in emotional turmoil, unable to control their emotions as the plane arrived at Kabul airport.
The Inspirational Journey Of Shapoor Zadran Before Untimely Death
Shapoor Zadran was far more than a fast bowler. Between 2009 and 2020 he played 44 One-Day Internationals and 36 T20 Internationals, leaving a mark defined by height, pace and a lion-hearted spirit.
His journey began in a time when Afghanistan’s cricket structure was still taking shape. He made his ODI debut in August 2009 against the Netherlands and announced himself with a stunning four-wicket haul.
During Afghanistan’s historic first-ever World Cup campaign in 2015, Shapoor stood tallest among the bowlers. He was the only Afghan to claim double-digit wickets in the tournament and etched his name into folklore by striking the winning runs in a nerve-shredding victory over Scotland.
Across four ICC World Twenty20 tournaments from 2010 to 2016, Shapoor was a reliable presence with the new ball. In 44 ODIs he collected 43 wickets at an economy of just 4.80.
In T20Is, he took 37 scalps with an economy of 7.83. Numbers alone, however, do not capture his influence. He belonged to the generation that laid the very foundations of Afghan cricket, now carried forward by stars like Rashid Khan.
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