Former Zimbabwean cricket captain and celebrated all-rounder, Heath Streak, passed away at 49
Henry Olanga, Streak’s bowling partner, expressed sorrow on X regarding the loss of the renowned bowling all-rounder. Olanga posted, “Heartbreaking news about Heath Streak’s passing. RIP @ZimCricketv legend. The finest all-rounder we produced. It was an honor to play alongside you. We’ll meet again on the other side when my bowling spell concludes.”
Streak, recognized for his bowling prowess, was undergoing cancer treatment under a respected South African oncologist.
Streak retired at the age of 31 in 2005, remaining the sole Zimbabwean bowler to achieve over 100 Test and 200 ODI wickets.
He captained Zimbabwe in 2000 during a period of player withdrawals due to board-team tensions. His career encompassed 65 matches, claiming 216 wickets in Tests with an economy of 2.69.
In ODIs, Streak participated in 189 matches, taking 239 wickets at an economy of 4.51, with his best bowling figures at 5-32. He also accumulated 1,990 runs in Test cricket, averaging 22.4 in 65 Tests.
In ODIs, Streak scored 2,934 runs with an average of 28.3 and a strike rate of 73.4. His cricket journey began in 1993 with a remarkable performance against Pakistan, securing 8 wickets in his second Test.
Despite taking on captaincy in 2002, tensions with the board led to his resignation. He was reappointed in 2004 but resigned again due to political pressures in 2004.
After retiring in 2005, he captained Warwickshire in 2006 but resigned as skipper in 2007. Streak joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007, concluding his international cricket career.
Streak remained connected to cricket, coaching roles with Zimbabwe, Scotland, Bangladesh, and Indian Premier League teams Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders.
In 2021, Streak faced an eight-year ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for violating the Anti-Corruption Code. He maintained no involvement in match-fixing or sharing information during a game.
