Former Afghanistan speedster Shapoor Zadran is dealing with a rare and potentially fatal medical condition, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and is currently being treated in the intensive care unit at a hospital in New Delhi. Zadran was admitted in January, and his situation has taken a turn for the worse after doctors diagnosed him with Stage Four HLH, a severe form of the disorder. While HLH is more commonly seen in children, it can also emerge in adults—especially those whose bodies are already under strain from infections or those with a background of cancer. In Zadran’s case, the illness has triggered a dangerous level of immune overreaction, leading to widespread inflammation and serious harm to the body’s tissues.
His younger brother, Ghamai Zadran, explained that Shapoor first began feeling unwell in October of last year. He said he was advised to seek treatment in India, and the process of arranging care was supported by several cricket connections. With help from Rashid Khan and Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf, Zadran was able to obtain an Indian visa. Ashraf also reached out to ICC chairman Jay Shah, while Rashid used his own IPL network and relationships, including links through his Gujarat Titans setup and contacts in teams associated with the Mumbai Indians across different franchise environments around the world.
Zadran reached New Delhi on January 18, travelling with his wife and former Afghanistan teammate Asghar Afghan, and was admitted to hospital. Ghamai later joined him a week after that. “It was a very serious infection,” Ghamai said. “His whole body was affected, including tuberculosis (TB). It also spread to his brain, which was revealed after MRI and CT scans.”
According to Ghamai, after several weeks of treatment, Zadran was discharged, but the improvement did not last. He said that roughly three weeks later, Zadran’s condition worsened again when he complained of stomach pain and required readmission. “The doctor said we could come in for regular check-ups,” Ghamai added. “He was feeling good for about 20 days before the infection returned. Then he developed a fever and tested positive for dengue. His immunity was very weak as his red blood cell count had dropped significantly.”
More recently, the left-arm pacer—who played 80 international matches for Afghanistan between 2009 and 2020, comprising 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is—underwent a bone marrow test that confirmed Stage Four HLH. Zadran retired from international cricket last year, and in the present phase of his illness he has limited communication, spending most of his time resting and sleeping. Ghamai revealed that his brother has lost nearly 14 kilograms during this period.
Despite the severity of the diagnosis, the family is holding on to signs of progress. “We have hope that he will improve day by day,” Ghamai said. “The steroids he has been given recently seem to be working, and that has given us hope.”
