Bangladesh cricket is in mourning following the sudden passing of Mahbub Ali Zaki (59), a renowned fast-bowling coach and assistant coach of the Dhaka Capitals, who died of a heart attack before the team’s BPL 2026 fixture against Rajshahi Warriors in Sylhet on Saturday.
Zaki collapsed while the Capitals were going through their pre-match routines at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and was immediately rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Despite the tragedy, the match went ahead as scheduled, with players, coaches, and officials observing a solemn minute’s silence in his honour.
A respected figure in Bangladesh cricket, Zaki had been part of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) setup for the past 17 years, joining in 2008 as a High Performance coach before becoming a specialist pace-bowling mentor in the BCB’s game development department. He worked closely with generations of fast bowlers and collaborated with several overseas bowling coaches during national team assignments, leaving a lasting imprint on Bangladesh’s pace-bowling structure.
In a heartfelt tribute, the BCB said Zaki had made a “significant contribution to the growth of pace bowling in the country,” remembering him for his dedication to player development and his deep commitment to the sport. The Board extended its deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and the wider cricketing fraternity during this time of immense loss.
Mahbub Ali Zaki’s legacy will live on through the fast bowlers he guided, the systems he helped build, and the professionalism he brought to Bangladesh cricket. He is remembered with respect, gratitude, and admiration across the game.
