Heath Streak, the former Zimbabwe cricket captain and the country’s highest wicket-taker of all time, has passed away following a struggle with liver and colon cancer at the age of 49.
“In the early hours of this morning, Sunday, 3 September, the greatest love of my life and the father of my beautiful children, was carried to be with the angels from his home where he wished to spend his last days surrounded by his family and closest loved ones,” his wife, Nadine Streak, wrote on social media.
As reported by ESPN, Heath Streak had been undergoing specialized medical treatment every two weeks at a Johannesburg hospital in South Africa since May.
Really sad news of the passing away of Zimbabwe’s legendary cricketer #HeathStreak. Having fought my own battle with cancer, I know the strength it takes.
He was one of the nicest guys I encountered along my journey and an even stronger human being.
My prayers for the… pic.twitter.com/d637dVcSWA
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) September 3, 2023
Streak, a highly talented fast bowler and a proficient batsman, played a pivotal role in Zimbabwean cricket teams that competed admirably against more prominent cricketing nations during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Nonetheless, his cricketing career came to a disgraceful end in 2021 when he received an eight-year ban for violating the International Cricket Council (ICC) Anti-Corruption Code.
In May of this year, it was disclosed that Streak was seriously ill, and in August, there were reports of his passing, sparked by a social media post from former teammate Henry Olonga. Streak promptly clarified that he was still alive, but not before numerous former colleagues and opponents had already paid their respects to him.
One of Zimbabwe’s greatest
Heath Streak, a robust fast bowler known for his ability to generate movement even on uncooperative pitches, achieved an impressive record in Test cricket, amassing 236 wickets at an average of 28.14 across 65 Test matches. Notably, no other Zimbabwean cricketer has surpassed the mark of 80 Test wickets.
In addition to his bowling prowess, Streak contributed with the bat, scoring a total of 1,990 runs at an average of 22.35 in Test matches, ranking him seventh on Zimbabwe’s all-time list. His highest individual score in Test cricket was an unbeaten 127, achieved against the West Indies in Harare in 2003.
Furthermore, in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Streak made significant contributions, claiming 237 wickets, which was 104 more than his closest competitor, and also scoring 2,901 runs in 187 ODIs.
One of Streak’s notable Test performances occurred when he took six wickets for 73 runs during a match against India in Harare in 2005. Despite India’s score of 366, Zimbabwe won the game convincingly by 10 wickets.
Streak’s cricketing journey also involved two separate periods of captaincy for the Zimbabwean team, which were briefly interrupted by a dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket in 2001, primarily centered around issues related to player compensation and racial quotas.
Among the four Test match victories during his 21-game captaincy stint, one of the most notable highlights was Zimbabwe’s historic first Test win against India in Harare in 2001. In that match, Streak showcased his skills by taking seven wickets, including the dismissals of Sachin Tendulkar in both innings, and contributed 40 runs with the bat in the first innings.
In the realm of One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Streak served as the captain for Zimbabwe in 68 matches, including the 2003 World Cup held in Southern Africa, during which Zimbabwe advanced to the Super Six stage.
However, in 2004, Streak was removed from his captaincy position during a turbulent period in Zimbabwe Cricket characterized by a rebellion by 15 prominent players against the cricket administration. Consequently, the national team, considerably weakened by the loss of key players, temporarily lost its Test-playing status.
Following his final stint as a player with the English county team Warwickshire, Heath Streak transitioned to coaching and took on the role of Zimbabwe’s bowling coach in 2009. His coaching career extended to various international assignments, including coaching roles in Bangladesh, India, England, and Scotland.
He served as Zimbabwe’s head coach from 2016 to 2018, but his tenure came to an end when the team failed to secure qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
However, Streak faced significant consequences in his cricketing career when he was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for eight years. This ban stemmed from his actions, which included passing on information and contact details of players to an unidentified individual from India and receiving payment, including $35,000 in Bitcoin.
While Streak took responsibility for his actions, he maintained that he had never been involved in match-fixing activities.
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