Dehradun: The bullets and blasts narrative that is associated with sportspersons from war-ravaged countries doesn’t sit well with Afghanistan speedster Shapoor Zadran, who wants the stereotypical perception to change. Zadran himself escaped an attempt on his life in 2017 when the car he was travelling in was shot at by unknown assailants. But he doesn’t want to think about it and just wants to move on.
“They (blasts and shooting) keep happening but we have to forget that. Every month there is an attack. We are on tour mostly, what option do we have? We have to put it behind and focus 100 per cent on the game,” Shapoor, who is here to represent the team in the T20 series against Bangladesh, told this agency, Tuesday.
The pacer, who still manages to hit speeds of 140kmph-plus however, is a little sad at missing out on the historic Test against India. However, he pointed out that he has not played a first class game since August 2013 and expected to be dropped.
You cannot think of the blasts and attempts on life happening in Afghanistan. They happen every day. You have to focus on cricket… that is the way I look at it
Shapoor Zadran
“It is disappointing to miss out but I have not been able to play four-day cricket because of injuries. I am fit now and can still hit 140 kmph consistently but I am focusing mainly on limited overs cricket,” said the tall lanky Shapoor. “It is indeed a proud moment that Afghanistan cricket has undergone a huge transformation in the last 16 years. Never thought we would be playing a Test match against India,” added the left-arm pacer.
He has another goal to meet and that is playing the IPL. “This time we had three players (Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Zadran) in the IPL. Hopefully next year, I will be there. I learnt a lot by playing the Bangladesh Premier League and hopefully my performances will be noticed by the IPL franchises,” Shapoor signed off.
