Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak lost his battle against cancer and passed away today morning. One of Zimbabwe’s finest players, Streak was the only bowler to pick 100 Test wickets for his country. He represented Zimbabwe in 65 Test matches and 189 ODIs. In a career spanning 12 years, Streak captained Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2004 an era where Zimbabwe were a formidable force to reckon with.
Henry Olonga was one of the first to share the demise of his former teammate. Olonga took to social media to express his grief. “Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side,” Olonga posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), eulogizing his comrade-in-arms as the “
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also expressed his sadness about the passing away of former Zimbabwe all-rounder. “Heath Streak is no more sad. Sad. Really sad.”
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Heath Streak: One of Zimbabwe’s finest, Streak leaves behind a glorious legacy
Streak made his international debut for Zimbabwe in 1993 against Pakistan. In his second Test match only, the pacer impressed everyone by picking eight wickets across both innings. However, with Zimbabwe playing very few Tests compared to other cricketing nations, Streak’s Test career never took off.
But in ODIs, he established as Zimbabwe’s great all-rounder due to his gritty batting skills. Often Streak, the batter was not rewarded due to his supreme bowling skills.
Streak the batter amassed 1990 Test and 2943 ODI runs. His 127 unbeaten against West Indies is the only one Test century he scored. In 2005, the former Zimbabwe captain took retirement finishing as Zimbabwe’s finest all-rounder. After his international retirement, Streak played in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007. Streak remained rooted in cricket even after retirement as he took up coaching offers with Zimbabwe, Scotland, Bangladesh, Gujarat Lions, and Kolkata Knight Riders.
At the fag end of his coaching career, Streak was marred with controversy when he was handed an eight-year ban by ICC for anti-corruption breaches. But despite that small taint, Streak’s legacy as Zimbabwe all-rounder and captain will be deeply missed by the cricketing world.
