Fast bowler who played against India in 2014 Asia Cup retires from international cricket

Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran has called time on his international career 15 years since his debut in August 2009. The 37-year-old played his last outing for Afghanistan in at T20I against Ireland in March 2020.

Zadran was one of Afghanistan's first popular names on the international scene, with the ability to generate pace and bounce, thanks to his height. The left-arm pacer played 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is for Afghanistan, finishing with 80 wickets across the two formats.

Zadran played the lone ODI World Cup in 2015, helping Afghanistan win their maiden game at the tournament against Scotland with figures of 4/38 in 10 overs. The pacer enjoyed an incredible 2015 World Cup with 10 wickets in six outings at an excellent average of 26.50.

Trending

Zadran also played in four T20 World Cups from 2010 to 2016, finishing with nine wickets at an average of 23 and an economy of 7.39. He also played for Afghanistan in the 2014 and 2016 ODI and T20 Asia Cups.

"Played under limited resources, and overcame many obstacles" - Shapoor Zadran

Zadran played a key role in Afghanistan's rise in world cricket [Credit: Getty]

Shapoor Zadran took to his Facebook account to announce his international retirement and thank all those who helped him throughout his cricketing journey.

The left-arm pacer is 10th all-time in wickets by an Afghanistan bowler in international cricket.

"My journey began in the most challenging times of Afghan cricket. I faced difficulties, played under limited resources, and overcame many obstacles, but I never lost faith. The support of cricket fans, my teammates, coaches, and especially my family kept me going through every hardship," said Zadran [quoted by ESPN Cricinfo].

He added:

"I sincerely thank everyone who stood by my side throughout this long journey. The love, prayers, and unwavering support of my family, friends, fans, and the people of Afghanistan have been my greatest strength. I will always be grateful for it."

International cricket aside, Zadran has also played nine first-class, 56 List-A and 83 T20 games, picking up a combined 164 wickets.

× Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading

Factually Incorrect

Hateful or Abusive

Baseless Opinion

Too Many Ads

Other Cancel Submit Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback

Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️

Click here to read article