Fast-bowling coach Mahbub Ali Zaki dies of heart attack before BPL game

Mahbub Ali Zaki, a renowned fast-bowling coach in Bangladesh, died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack before Dhaka Capitals' BPL game against Rajshahi Warriors at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Zaki, who was the Capitals assistant coach, collapsed during his team's pre-match routines. He was taken to hospital, where authorities pronounced him dead shortly afterwards. He was 59.

The match went ahead as scheduled, with the players, coaches and match officials observing a minute's silence for Zaki.

The BCB, where Zaki was employed for the last 17 years, posted on social media: "Following his playing career, Mahbub Ali Zaki dedicated himself to coaching and player development. He joined the BCB in 2008 as a High Performance coach and went on to make a significant contribution to the growth of pace bowling in the country through his work."

Zaki was a specialist pace-bowling coach in the BCB's game development department. He first came to prominence for his work with Taskin Ahmed in 2016, when the bowler was reported for an illegal bowling action. Zaki worked closely with many fast bowlers in the country, apart from liaising with the various overseas bowling coaches who worked with the Bangladesh team.

An affable character, Zaki wanted to open a fast-bowling academy in Bangladesh, similar to the MRF Pace Foundation in India.

A fast bowler in his playing days, Zaki represented Comilla district in the National Cricket Championship. He also played for Abahani Limited, Bangladesh's most decorated club in the Dhaka Premier League.