Heath Streak, Zimbabwe’s champion allrounder, dies at 49
Heath Streak, the previous Zimbabwe captain and arguably their biggest allrounder, has died on the age of 49. He had superior colon and liver most cancers and had been receiving specialist therapy at a Johannesburg hospital, travelling from his residence in Bulawayo on a bi-weekly foundation since May. He is survived by his spouse, Nadine, and 4 kids.
“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,” Nadine wrote on social media.
Streak was a significant determine within the Zimbabwe crew of the Nineties, after they loved their most profitable run in worldwide cricket. He represented Zimbabwe in 65 Tests, making him their second-most capped Test participant, and 189 ODIs between 1993 and 2005. He was their main bowler, with 216 Test wickets and 239 ODI wickets – additionally the one Zimbabwe bowler to take greater than 100 Test wickets and over 200 ODI wickets. He was additionally their seventh-highest Test run-scorer, with 1990 runs, and considered one of 16 Zimbabwe batters to attain greater than 2000 ODI runs, ending with 2943.
The son of Denis, who performed cricket for Rhodesia, Streak made his international debut as a 19-year-old in an deserted match in opposition to South Africa in Bengaluru throughout the 1993 Hero Cup, a five-team event performed in India. He additionally got his Test cap that 12 months, in opposition to Pakistan in Karachi, and took eight wickets within the subsequent match in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan would turn out to be one thing of a favorite opponent. He took extra Test wickets – 44 – in opposition to them than some other crew, together with three of his seven five-fors.
He made his first Test fifty in his ninth Test, in opposition to South Africa, and it might be adopted by 10 extra. His only Test century got here in opposition to West Indies, in Harare in 2003.
After making his debut, Streak performed in all eight Tests that Zimbabwe received over the course of his profession. He was a mainstay of the ODI aspect and performed in three World Cups – in 1996, 1999 and 2003 – and took 3 for 36 and three for 35 of their wins over India and South Africa within the 1999 event in England.
Streak turned Zimbabwe captain in 2000, nevertheless it proved a tumultuous tenure.
In 2001, he resigned for the first time, formally citing the influence of management on his efficiency. Behind the scenes, politics was rife within the nation, and Streak was within the crosshairs.
As a part of Zimbabwe’s white, privileged minority, his household was focused within the land-reform tasks of the early 2000s, the place white farmers’ lands had been seized and redistributed. More than 70% of the Streaks’ farm within the Turk Mine space, 60 kilometres north of Bulawayo, was taken however they had been left with sufficient to proceed farming cattle and run a small safari park.
In sporting phrases, the elevated political push to remodel Zimbabwe’s beforehand elite sporting codes, resembling cricket and rugby, into consultant video games meant the introduction of quota programs. And all of the whereas, Zimbabwe’s economic system suffered. Selection interference and fee points had been behind Streak’s first resignation as captain however he accepted the job once more in 2002, and led them on the 2003 World Cup, the place Zimbabwe had been co-hosts.
The difficulties by no means went away, although, and in 2004, Streak resigned as captain for the second time after a conflict with the board, prompting the walkout of 13 different white gamers from the nationwide aspect. That was a pivotal second for Zimbabwe cricket and led to them rebuilding the nationwide aspect with inexperienced gamers, which resulted in a pointy decline in outcomes. Streak was the one one of many gamers who returned to the nationwide aspect and made a global comeback the next 12 months. He performed six Tests and 6 ODIs (two for Africa XI in opposition to Asia XI in August 2005) earlier than retiring from worldwide cricket on the age of 32 in 2005.
Streak went on to play for Warwickshire and had a short-lived stint as captain earlier than leaving the membership in 2007. He then signed up with Ahmedabad Rockets within the short-lived Indian Cricket League. From there, he returned to Zimbabwe and moved into teaching. He was appointed Zimbabwe’s bowling coach in 2009 and went on to work below Alan Butcher as Zimbabwe made their Test comeback after a six-year self-imposed exile in 2011. They loved pretty common recreation time over the subsequent two years however in 2013, Streak’s contract was not renewed. He remained coach at his home union, Matabeleland Tuskers, and based his personal academy, the Heath Streak Academy, in Bulawayo in 2014.
He additionally discovered gigs as a bowling coach around the globe and had stints with Bangladesh (2014-2016) and Gujarat Lions (within the 2016 and 2017 editions of the IPL) after which returned residence to take over as Zimbabwe’s head coach in October 2016, tasked with making certain the crew certified for the 2019 World Cup. At the 2018 World Cup qualifier held in Zimbabwe, the crew misplaced a vital match to the UAE and missed out on the World Cup. Streak and his total teaching employees had been sacked. He went on to have quick stints with Scotland, Somerset and Kolkata Knight Riders.
In 2021, he was banned for eight years after being charged with – and admitting to – 5 breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, together with accepting fee in bitcoins from a possible corruptor. However, he later mentioned he was not involved in any makes an attempt to repair matches, however admitted to disclosing inside data pertaining to worldwide matches.
As such, he was serving his ban on the time of his demise. Streak would have been 57 on the time the ban ended and had expressed doubts on whether or not he would be capable of return to having a job within the recreation. He was understood to be contemplating interesting the size of his ban earlier than he took sick.
His academy continues to run and was renamed the Zimbabwe Youth Academy when Streak needed to resign final 12 months. He spent his closing months fishing and tending to the household farm.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and ladies’s cricket