Heath Streak has passed away at the age of 49. The former Zimbabwe captain and seamer was battling with cancer.
Streak, one of Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketers and captain between 2000 and 2004, played 65 Test matches and 189 ODIs. He remains the only player from his country to take 100 Test wickets. He often carried the bowling effort singlehandedly for Zimbabwe during a 12-year cricketing career.
Mainly known for his bowling contribution, Streak was handy with the bat in Zimbabwe’s middle order. He tallied 1990 Test runs and 2943 ODI runs through his career. He scored a Test century (127*) against the West Indies in Harare – it was his first and only ton in the longest format.
After making a debut against Pakistan in 1993, Streak almost immediately made his contribution tell with eight wickets in the second Test in Rawalpindi.
The all-rounder retired in 2005 to lead Warwickshire in the English county but his tenure was cut short due to personal form issues.
He then went on to play the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007, effectively bringing his career to a close.
Streak’s coaching career saw him take roles with Zimbabwe, Scotland, Bangladesh, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, his legacy was affected when he was banned for eight years by the ICC for anti-corruption breaches. The punishment was handed down in 2021 and covered his stint as coach of Zimbabwe, KKR in the IPL and Kabul Zwanan in Afghanistan Premier League.
Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side. RIP @ZimCricketv legend. The greatest all rounder we produced. It was a pleasure playing with you. See you on the other side when my bowling spell comes to an end…😔
— Henry Olonga (@henryolonga) August 22, 2023
Henry Olonga, Streak’s teammate and bowling partner at one point, took to social media to pay his tribute. “Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side,” wrote Olonga on X, formerly Twitter. “RIP legend. The greatest all rounder we produced. It was a pleasure playing with you. See you on the other side when my bowling spell comes to an end.”
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