What is HLH disease? Ex-Afghan pacer Shapoor Zadran battles rare illness

Once known for his imposing presence and left-arm pace for Afghanistan, Shapoor is now fighting an advanced stage of the illness

Former Afghan pacer Shapoor Zadran

Aditya Kaushik New Delhi

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Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran is battling a serious medical condition after being diagnosed with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening disease linked to immune system failure.

The 38-year-old is currently in the intensive care unit of a New Delhi hospital, where he has been undergoing treatment since arriving in India in January.

Once known for his imposing presence and left-arm pace for Afghanistan, Shapoor is now fighting an advanced stage of the illness.

What is HLH disease?

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, commonly known as HLH, is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system becomes overactive and begins attacking healthy tissues and organs. It can lead to severe inflammation and damage to vital parts of the body such as the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

What do the doctors say on Shapoor’s condition?

According to his family, Shapoor first fell ill last October before doctors in Afghanistan advised treatment in India. After reaching New Delhi on January 18, he was admitted to a hospital with a serious infection.

His brother said doctors found infection across his body, including tuberculosis, and scans later showed it had spread to the brain. Shapoor initially responded to treatment and was discharged twice but suffered repeated setbacks due to fresh infections.

Later, he developed a fever, tested positive for dengue, and his red blood cell count dropped sharply. A bone marrow test around late March reportedly confirmed Stage Four HLH. His brother added that Shapoor now speaks very little, sleeps most of the time, and has lost around 14 kilograms.

Pacer receives help from fellow cricketers

Several figures from Afghanistan cricket have supported Shapoor during his treatment. Rashid Khan and Afghanistan Cricket Board Chairman Mirwais Ashraf helped speed up his visa process for India.

Former teammate Asghar Afghan accompanied him to India and has continued travelling between Dubai and Delhi to assist the family. Rashid has remained in contact with doctors and visited him earlier this year.

AM Ghazanfar also visited Shapoor while in Delhi for the IPL, while ODI captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has checked on his condition.

Shapoor's career in numbers

Shapoor represented Afghanistan between 2009 and 2020 and was one of the key fast bowlers during the team’s rise in international cricket. He played 80 internationals across formats, featuring in 44 One-Day Internationals and 36 Twenty20 Internationals.

Known for his height, bounce, and left-arm angle, he played an important role in several major tournaments for Afghanistan, including ICC global events. He was among the early generation of players who helped establish Afghanistan as a competitive international side.

Family reacts to the situation

Shapoor’s brother said the family remains hopeful despite the severity of the illness. He stated that Shapoor has long been the head of the family and carries major responsibility as the eldest among four brothers and six sisters.

The family said recent steroid treatment appears to be helping, giving them renewed hope that his condition can improve gradually in the coming days.

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First Published: Apr 20 2026 | 8:39 PM IST

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