Exclusive: Trainer’s Timely CPR Saved Tamim Iqbal’s Life After On-Field Heart Attack

Former Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal survived a harrowing medical emergency after suffering a massive heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match on March 24 at BKSP. 

The star batsman lost consciousness for 22 minutes, during which doctors initially failed to find his pulse. The entire cricket fraternity was left in shock, but what could have been a tragedy was averted thanks to the swift intervention of Mohammedan Sporting Club’s trainer, Yakub Chowdhury Dalim.

Dalim’s quick thinking and execution of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) ultimately saved Tamim’s life, an act he later described as nothing short of a miracle in an exclusive conversation with SportsBoom.com. 

“The match started around 9AM. After warming up, Tamim seemed a bit uncomfortable. He said, ‘I’m feeling some chest pain. Can I get a gas medicine?’ He took it, but the pain didn’t go away. Then he said, ‘I think I should go to the hospital,’” recalled Dalim.

When they reached the local medical facility, doctors followed standard procedures and began treatment. However, Tamim felt he needed better care and decided to head to Dhaka. Arrangements were made for a helicopter transfer, with plans in place to move him as soon as the ambulance reached BKSP.

Inside the ambulance, Tamim was still aware and talking. It was just him, Dalim, Wasim (team boy), and a ward boy. The situation seemed under control—until suddenly, it wasn’t. As they entered BKSP’s administration building, Tamim lost consciousness without warning. The casual conversation turned into a desperate struggle for survival in mere seconds.

A LIFE-SAVING DECISION

With Tamim unresponsive, Dalim faced a critical choice—rush him into the air ambulance or attempt CPR immediately. He chose the latter, a decision that proved to be life-saving.

“I asked him again and again, ‘Tamim Bhai, can you hear me?’ Nothing. No movement, no reaction. That’s when I knew—this was serious. I checked for a pulse. Nothing. He wasn’t breathing either. In that moment, I realized—he was having a massive cardiac arrest. I didn’t waste a second,” said Dalim.

“I started CPR right away because I knew if I hesitated, we could lose him. The helicopter hadn’t arrived yet. I pressed down hard on his chest, over and over, for about two to three minutes. Just then, I heard the helicopter landing on the athletic track."

“The ambulance driver was sharp—he sped up and got us moving fast. At the same time, match referee Debu Da was doing everything he could. He asked me what was happening, and I told him, ‘It’s bad.’ Another doctor at BKSP, Samir Bhai, came over. He saw me doing CPR and said, Get him to the hospital as soon as possible."

“Then someone suggested putting him in the helicopter. But I immediately snapped, ‘If we put him in that helicopter, we’re going to lose him.’ We didn’t have time for that. We had to get to the hospital—fast. I turned to Debu Da and said, ‘We need to move now. If I stop CPR, his other organs will fail. His brain won’t get oxygen," he emphasised.

“I kept my cool, kept pressing, didn’t stop for a second. The ambulance rushed toward the hospital. Tamim was still unresponsive. I kept going—five, six rounds of CPR. Then I tried mouth breathing. First time, nothing. The second time—he gasped. A deep, heavy gasp. At that moment, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. If we had taken him on the helicopter, if he had lost consciousness mid-air, I wouldn’t have been able to do CPR, wouldn’t have been able to breathe for him."

These things take time. Why take the risk when, at the end of the day, he needed hospital treatment? Just taking off and landing the helicopter alone would have taken 30 minutes. Then the hospital procedures—another 10-15 minutes. The heart wouldn’t wait that long. The heart doesn’t have sympathy—it just stops when it wants to. If we had taken the helicopter, this could have gone a completely different way,” he added.

HOSPITAL INTERVENTION AND RECOVERY

After arriving at the hospital, Tamim was immediately given DC shock and underwent an angiogram. Doctors discovered two blockages—one was 100% blocked in the coronary artery, and the other was a partial blockage.

Tamim received emergency medical treatment at KPJ Specialised Hospital, where he successfully underwent an angiogram procedure to address the arterial blockage. His condition is now stable, marking an incredible escape from what could have been a fatal incident.

As he continues to recover, Tamim’s case stands as a powerful reminder of how swift medical intervention can make the difference between life and death. 

Yakub Chowdhury Dalim’s heroism will forever be etched in the history of Bangladesh cricket, proving that sometimes, the biggest saves don’t happen on the field, but off it.