Thousands of mourners, including current and former Afghanistan national team players, Afghanistan Cricket Board officials, family members and supporters, gathered in Kabul on Thursday to offer funeral prayers for former fast bowler Shapoor Zadran before he was laid to rest. Tens of thousands of people from across the country attended the ceremony, which was broadcast live on Afghanistan National Television (RTA), underscoring the profound impact of one of Afghan cricket’s founding figures.
Kabul | By Niaz Shinwari
Former Afghanistan national team fast bowler Shapoor Zadran was laid to rest on Thursday following funeral prayers attended by thousands of mourners, including current and former national cricketers, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officials, family members, tribal elders and members of the public.
The funeral prayer was held at 10:00 a.m. at Eidgah Mosque in Kabul, where a large gathering came together to pay their final respects to one of Afghanistan’s most influential cricketers.
Following the funeral prayer, Zadran was buried at Maranjan Cemetery in Kabul during a solemn ceremony attended by his family, friends, teammates and senior figures from Afghanistan’s cricket community.
The funeral drew tens of thousands of mourners from across Afghanistan, reflecting the immense respect and admiration Zadran commanded throughout the country. The ceremony was broadcast live on Afghanistan National Television (RTA), allowing millions of viewers nationwide to join in paying their final respects to one of the pioneers of Afghan cricket.
Thursday marked one of the saddest days in the history of Afghan cricket, as the nation bid farewell to a player widely regarded as one of the heroes of the sport’s formative years. Zadran was among the pioneering cricketers whose courage, resilience and unwavering commitment helped transform Afghanistan from an emerging cricket nation into a respected force on the international stage.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board had earlier described his passing as an irreplaceable loss and postponed two matches of the 11th edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League in honour of the former left-arm fast bowler.
Tributes have continued to pour in from across the cricket world, with current and former teammates, cricket officials and sports organisations remembering Zadran not only for his achievements on the field but also for his humility, fighting spirit and unwavering dedication to Afghan cricket.
Shapoor Zadran was one of Afghanistan’s pioneering left-arm fast bowlers and represented the national team from 2009 to 2020. During his international career, he played 80 matches, including 44 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 36 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), claiming 43 ODI wickets and 37 T20I wickets. He represented Afghanistan in three ICC Men’s T20 World Cups and was a member of the team that secured the country’s historic first victory at the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015. Zadran also played a pivotal role in Afghanistan’s success in Asian Cricket Council competitions and was among the generation of cricketers who laid the foundations for Afghanistan’s rise to Full Member status of the International Cricket Council (ICC). His legacy remains woven into the history of Afghan cricket and continues to inspire generations of players and fans alike.