NEW DELHI: Legendary Zimbabwean cricketer Heath Streak passed away on Tuesday after fighting a prolonged battle with cancer at the age of 49.
Streak had been undergoing treatment in South Africa after being diagnosed with colon and liver cancer.
Expressing their sorrow, former Zimbabwean fast bowler Henry Olonga took to X (previously known as Twitter) to convey his feelings.
“Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side. RIP @ZimCricketv legend. The greatest all-rounder we produced. It was a pleasure playing with you. See you on the other side when my bowling spell comes to an end,” said Olonga.
Apart from Olonga, current Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams also wrote: “Streaky. No words can explain what you and your family have done for mine and many others Our hearts our broken you leave behind a beautiful family and a legacy for us to live up to! You will b missed we love you dearly Rest in peace Streaky.”.
Streak played 65 Tests and 189 ODIs for his country between 1993 and 2005 and claimed more than 450 international wickets.
Streak, who was the first Zimbabwean bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs, was known for his impressive all-round skills as a fast-medium bowler and a competent lower-order batsman.
He was also the first cricketer from his country to reach 100 wickets in both Test and ODI formats.
After retiring as a player, Streak took up coaching and was involved with various teams and franchises. He worked as a bowling coach for Bangladesh’s national cricket team and later took up the role of head coach for the team.
However, his coaching career took an unfortunate turn when he was banned from all cricket-related activities for eight years in 2021 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his involvement in corrupt practices. (AGENCIES)
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