Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak passed away on September 3, 2023, aged 49 after a battle with cancer.
Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak passed away
Heath Streak captained the Zimbabwe cricket team between 2000 and 2004 and played 65 Tests and 189 ODIs. Streak remains the only player from his country to take 100 Test wickets and often singlehandedly carried a wobbly bowling unit during his 12-year career.
Heath Streak’s wife, Nadine Streak, has posted a heartfelt tribute on her Facebook account, in memory of her husband.
“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,” Nandine Streak wrote.
“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”, she added.
On August 23, rumours regarding Heath Streak’s death spread across social media which was later denied by one of his former Zimbabwe teammate Henry Olonga.
He scored his one and Only century of 127* runs against West Indies. He made his debut against Pakistan in 1993 and made himself well-known after he scalped 8 wickets in the second Test at Rawalpindi.
His debut against Pakistan in 1993 marked the beginning of his meteoric rise, and he established himself as early as his second Test in Rawalpindi, where he claimed eight wickets after a wicketless debut in Karachi.
Streak retired in 2005 to serve as Warwickshire’s captain under a two-year contract in 2006 but his tenure was cut short due to personal form issues. He then went on to sign up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007, effectively bringing down the curtains on his international career.
Streak’s coaching career saw him take up varying roles with Zimbabwe, Scotland, Bangladesh, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders. He was banned from all cricket activities by the ICC for 8 years in 2021 for breaching the Anti-corruption policy, to which he pleaded guilty.
