Dhaka Capitals' assistant coach Mahbub Ali Zaki tragically lost his life after suffering a heart attack on the field before the team's opening game of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) against the Rajshahi Warriors. The match was set to take place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, December 27. The incident occurred shortly before the game was about to start.
Zaki suddenly fell ill during the team's final preparations and collapsed on the field. He was immediately attended by medical personnel present at the stadium and was then rushed to a nearby hospital through an ambulance. He was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) where doctors continued his treatment. However, he was eventually declared dead at around 12:30 PM IST in Sylhet.
Tributes pour in for Zaki
Following the news of his passing, players from both Dhaka Capitals and Rajshahi Warriors observed a minute's silence during the innings break. Tributes poured in for Zaki, who had previously worked with players from the Bangladesh cricket team including Taskin Ahmed. Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan expressed his sadness over Zaki's passing in a heartfelt message on social media.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened at the news of the passing of coach Mahbub Ali Zaki. I have known him from my early days as a professional cricketer. His last moments were at a cricket ground doing the work he loved most. My heartfelt condolences to his family," Shakib wrote in a post.
Zaki's coaching career
Zaki had previously served as a specialist pace bowling coach in the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s Game Development Department. He was also the fast-bowling coach of the Bangladesh team that won the U-19 World Cup in 2020. He was a well-respected figure in Bangladesh cricket and his loss comes as a massive shock.