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After a long battle with cancer, Heath Streak passes away, aged 49

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Last updated on 23 Aug 2023 | 02:56 AM
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After a long battle with cancer, Heath Streak passes away, aged 49

With 216 Test wickets and 239 in the ODIs, Streak is hailed as the greatest-ever cricketer to have represented Zimbabwe internationally

Hailed as Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketer, Heath Streak lost his battle with cancer and breathed his last at 49 while undergoing treatment in South Africa due to colon and liver cancer. Last May, the news broke out that Streak, who had played 65 Tests and 189 ODIs for Zimbabwe, was convalescing in a hospital in Johannesburg. But later, his health was reportedly stable.

“Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side. RIP 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, Streak’s former teammate, wrote on X.

Streak is hailed as the greatest-ever cricketer to have represented Zimbabwe internationally. With 216 Test wickets and 239 in the ODIs, Streak had a decent career, and in the process, he became the only bowler with over 100 Test wickets. With an average of 22.35 in Tests and 28.29 in ODIs, Streak was a good batter who helped Zimbabwe recover from many situations. 

Streak retired from international cricket in 2005 but then signed up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007, and it was never easy to recover from that. Subsequently, he had coaching stints with the likes of Zimbabwe, Scotland, Bangladesh, Gujarat Lions, and Kolkata Knight Riders. 

However, the biggest blow came when he received an eight-year ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the anti-corruption code. He then "apologized" and took "full responsibility" for his actions but later claimed that he never fixed matches. 

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