Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak passes away, confirms wife Nadine
In devastating news for his family and cricket fans around the world, Zimbabwe cricket great and former Bangladesh fast bowling coach Heath Streak passed away on Sunday at the age of 49.
Zimbabwe's former captain Heath Streak has passed away at the age of 49, following a long battle with colon and liver cancer. The news of Streak's passing was shared by his wife, Nadine Streak, through a heartfelt Facebook post.
She wrote: "In the early hours of this morning, Sunday the 3rd of September 2023, 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. He was covered in love and peace and did not walk off the park alone. Our souls are joined for eternity Streaky. Till I hold you again."
In May, it was reported that Heath Streak was facing a battle with cancer and was undergoing treatment, guided by one of South Africa's most esteemed oncologists. Just two weeks ago, there was a false report of Streak's passing, which was later corrected, and an apology was issued by his former teammate Henry Olonga, who had shared the unverified news on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
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Born in Bulawayo, Streak, a cricketing legend, was particularly known for his prowess as a fast bowler. He held the distinction of being Zimbabwe's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, having taken 216 wickets at an average of 28.14. Additionally, he scored 1990 runs at an average of 22.35 in Test matches. In One Day Internationals (ODIs), Streak claimed 239 wickets at an average of 29.82 and scored 2,943 runs at 28.29.
Heath Streak represented Zimbabwe in 65 Tests and 189 ODIs between 1993 and 2005 before transitioning into coaching the national team.
In 2021 Streak was handed an eight-year ban from all cricketing activities for breaching the ICC's anti-corruption policy. He was accusd of leaking inside-information about franchise T20 leagues that included the Indian Premier League. Streak did accept the ban but denied involvement in match-fixing.
In 2014, Streak founded the Heath Streak Academy to aid development and growth of cricket in Zimbabwe.
