Shapoor Zadran Battling Stage Four HLH in Delhi ICU; Rashid Khan, Jay Shah Helped Secure India Visa
Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran is fighting for his life in an intensive care unit at a Delhi hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since January for a rare and life-threatening immune disorder called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).
Zadran, who featured in 80 international matches for Afghanistan as a frontline pace bowler, was diagnosed with Stage Four HLH a condition in which the immune system goes into overdrive, causing severe hyperinflammation that damages critical organs including the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. While HLH is more commonly seen in children, it can also strike adults, particularly those with weakened immunity or a history of cancer.
Symptoms First Surfaced in October
His brother Ghamai Zadran, who flew in from Canada to be by his side, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Shapoor first reported symptoms in October last year. Doctors in Afghanistan subsequently advised him to seek advanced medical care in India.
Securing a visa quickly was made possible through influential intervention Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman Mirwais Ashraf contacted former BCCI secretary and current ICC president Jay Shah, while star leg-spinner Rashid Khan reached out to key figures in the franchise cricket circuit. Shapoor arrived in India on January 18 and has remained hospitalised since.
He made the journey accompanied by his wife and former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan. Ghamai joined them in India on January 26.
“His Whole Body Was Full of Infection”
Ghamai described the severity of his brother’s condition in stark terms. “It was a very serious infection,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “His whole body was full of the infection, including TB (tuberculosis). It also spread to his brain, which was revealed after an MRI and CT scan.”
Shapoor was discharged after an initial 20-day hospital stay during which he appeared to stabilise. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly after that window of recovery.
“The doctor said we could drop in for the check-ups frequently. He was feeling good for about 20 days before he got the infection again. Then we admitted him to the hospital again,” Ghamai said.
Shortly after being discharged, Shapoor complained of stomach pain. A return visit to the hospital brought worse news he had developed a fever and tested positive for dengue, further battering an already compromised immune system.
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“His immunity was very weak as the red blood cell count depleted severely,” Ghamai revealed.
Bone Marrow Test Confirms Stage Four Diagnosis
On March 26, a bone marrow test confirmed that Shapoor was suffering from Stage Four HLH — the most advanced stage of the condition.
As of now, the former pacer can barely speak and spends most of his time sleeping. Ghamai added that his brother has lost close to 14 kilograms since falling ill.v”He doesn’t have much vitality,” he said.