Heath Streak is alive, rumors of death fake; confirms Olonga
Former Zimbabwe cricketer Heath Streak is alive after news of him surfaced regarding his death. Henry Olonga, Streak's former teammate, took to social media and confirmed that the latter passed away. Olonga then shared another tweet saying the death of Streak is highly exaggerated and that he heard from him. As per Mid-Day, Streak told his writer that he is alive and well.
It is a total rumor and a lie, says Streak
Streak, 49, who battling with liver cancer told his writer on Wednesday morning from Zimbabwe. "It is a total rumor and a lie. I'm alive and well. I am very upset to learn that something as big as someone passing can be spread unverified, especially in our day and age of social media".
He is very much alive folks, tweets Olonga
"I can confirm that rumors of the demise of Heath Streak have been greatly exaggerated. I just heard from him. The third umpire has called him back. He is very much alive folks," former Zimbabwe cricketer Olonga tweeted.
Earlier, Olonga tweeted about Streak's demise
Earlier, Olonga had tweeted, "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...😔 — Henry Olonga (@henryolonga) August 22, 2023."
Sean Williams's response to the first news of Streak's death
Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams responded to the first news of his death. He tweeted: "Streaky. No words can explain what you and your family have done for mine and many others. Our hearts are 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."
One of the greatest all-rounders
Streak had an illustrious career and bowed out as one of the greatest all-rounders. He remains the only Zimbabwean bowler with more than 200 Test wickets (216) and over 200 ODI wickets (239). Streak also amassed 2,943 ODI and 1,990 Test runs with the bat. Later, he enjoyed his stints as coach of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, as well as several T20 teams.
Streak's love affair with Harare Sports Club
Streak fancied playing at the Harare Sports Club. In 49 internationals at this venue, Streak took 126 wickets at an incredible average of 23.83. No other Zimbabwean bowler has more than 67 wickets in this regard.
ICC banned Streak for eight years in 2021
In 2021, Streak's legendary status took a toll after he was banned for eight years by the ICC for breaching the anti-corruption code. Streak admitted to disclosing inside information about international matches. However, he stated that he was not involved in any attempts to fix matches. In a statement, Streak revealed his engagement with "an individual keen to invest in cricket in Africa".
Streak was charged with five breaches
Streak received the ban after being charged with five breaches of the ICC's anti-corruption code, including accepting payment in bitcoins. He had been under investigation for an extensive list of games through 2017 and 2018 (international cricket and stints in the IPL, BPL and APL).
The controversy surrounding Streak's captaincy
Streak captained Zimbabwe across formats in the early 2000s. However, he stepped down from the role in 2004 following a clash with the Zimbabwe cricket board. He even threatened to quit the game if his demands, which included the review of the selection panel, were not met. A year later, Streak retired from international cricket at the age of 31.
What did Streak's family say back in May
"Heath has cancer and is undergoing treatment under one of the most respected oncologists in South Africa," his family said in a statement back in May 2023. "He remains in good spirits and will continue to fight this disease in a similar vein to that which his opponents faced during his revered days on the cricket field," the statement added.
