Heath Streak no longer exists. The former Zimbabwe captain and fast bowler died at the age of 49 after a battle with cancer.
Henry Olonga, Heath’s former bowling teammate, took to social media to express his respects. “Sad news that Heath Streak has crossed over to the other side,” Olonga wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Rest in peace, legend. The most versatile player we ever produced. It was enjoyable to play with you. “I’ll see you on the other side when my bowling spell ends.”
Streak, one of the finest cricketers in Zimbabwe’s history and their captain from 2000 to 2004, participated in 65 Tests and 189 one-day internationals. Throughout his 12-year tenure, he often carried a shaky bowling unit on his own. He is the only player from his country to have taken 100 Test wickets.
Although best known for his bowling, Streak also contributed with the bat in the middle order for his team, scoring 1990 Test runs and 2,943 ODI runs over the course of his career. In Harare, he scored his only Test century (127*) against the West Indies.
His debut against Pakistan in 1993 signaled the beginning of his meteoric ascent, and he established himself as early as his second Test in Rawalpindi, where he took eight wickets after making his debut in Karachi wicketless.
Streak retired in 2005 and signed a two-year contract to serve as Warwickshire’s captain in 2006, but his tenure was cut short due to personal form issues. In 2007, he joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL), putting an end to his international career.
Throughout the course of his coaching tenure, Streak held various positions with Zimbabwe, Scotland, Bangladesh, Gujarat Lions, and Kolkata Knight Riders. However, his legacy took a dark turn when he was prohibited for eight years by the International Criminal Court for anti-corruption violations.
