Former Afghan Cricketer Shapoor Zadran in Critical Condition in New Delhi
Critical Health Condition
Shapoor Zadran, a former left-arm fast bowler for Afghanistan, is currently fighting for his life in the ICU of a hospital in New Delhi, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
He is diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a severe and potentially fatal condition that causes the immune system to fail. Shapoor has been undergoing treatment for an advanced stage of HLH since January.
Path to Treatment
Shapoor, who played 80 international matches for Afghanistan from 2009 to 2020, began experiencing health issues last October. His brother, Ghamai Zadran, mentioned that doctors in Afghanistan recommended he seek treatment in India. Thanks to the intervention of Afghanistan's T20I team captain, Rashid Khan, and ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf, Shapoor's Indian visa was expedited. Ashraf contacted ICC chairman Jay Shah, while Rashid leveraged his connections in the cricket franchise circuit.
Health Decline and Diagnosis
Upon arriving in India on January 18, Shapoor was admitted to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe infection affecting his entire body, including Tuberculosis that had spread to his brain, as confirmed by MRI and CT scans. Ghamai stated, "It was a very serious infection. His whole body was full of the infection including TB. It also spread to his brain, which was revealed after MRI and CT scan."
Initially, Shapoor showed signs of improvement for about 20 days, but his health deteriorated due to a recurring infection, necessitating another hospital admission. Ghamai noted, "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."
After being discharged, Shapoor faced new health issues, including stomach problems, leading to another hospital visit where he tested positive for dengue. Ghamai explained, "His immunity was very weak as the red blood cell count depleted severely."
Stage Four HLH Diagnosis
On March 26, Shapoor underwent a bone marrow test that confirmed he was in Stage Four of HLH.
A Ray of Hope
Despite his weakened state, Ghamai expressed cautious optimism, stating that recent steroid treatments seem to be effective, providing hope for gradual recovery. "He doesn't have much vitality. We have hope that he will improve day by day. The steroids Shapoor has been given recently seem to be working and that has given us hope," Ghamai remarked.