Dhaka Capitals assistant coach Mahbub Ali Zaki passed away on Saturday after collapsing suddenly at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium shortly before his team’s opening match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season. He was 59.
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The incident occurred minutes before the toss for Dhaka Capitals’ first game against the Rajshahi Warriors. According to team officials, Zaki collapsed on the ground without showing any prior signs of illness. Medical staff and team personnel immediately rushed to his aid and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the venue.
A Minute of Silence in Memory of Mahbub Ali Zaki 📷
Players, officials, and the entire cricketing fraternity observed a 1-minute silence to pay their respects to Mahbub Ali Zaki, honoring his life, legacy, and invaluable contribution to Bangladesh cricket pic.twitter.com/IqlTV8Azy2— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) December 27, 2025
The Bangladesh Cricket Board deeply mourns the passing of Mahbub Ali Zaki (59), Specialist Pace Bowling Coach of the BCB Game Development Department and Assistant Coach of Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 2026.
He passed away today, 27 December 2025, in… pic.twitter.com/p1ImtCNX0G
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) December 27, 2025
He was subsequently taken by ambulance to Al Haramain Hospital in Sylhet, where doctors pronounced him dead. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury later confirmed his death, sending shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity.
News of Zaki’s sudden collapse prompted players and officials from several BPL teams, including Sylhet Titans, Noakhali Express and Chattogram Royals, to rush to the hospital to show support and seek updates. The tragic incident cast a pall over the opening stages of the tournament.
Mahbub Ali Zaki was a respected figure in Bangladesh cricket, particularly known for his work as a pace bowling coach. He first came into the national spotlight after working closely with fast bowler Taskin Ahmed when the latter’s bowling action came under scrutiny during the 2016 T20 World Cup in India.
A former fast bowler himself, Zaki represented Comilla District in the National Cricket Championship and played in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for prominent clubs such as Abahani and Dhanmondi. Following his playing career, he devoted himself to coaching and player development.
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Zaki joined the BCB in 2008 as a High Performance coach and later became a key contributor to the development of fast bowling in the country. In a statement, the BCB expressed deep sorrow over his passing, offering condolences to his family, friends and the wider cricketing community, and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.