Heath Streak not well but fine, says Zim Cricket e...

Heath Streak not well but fine, says Zim Cricket ex-captain’s mother

Zim Now Writer

Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak’s mother, Karen Streak has refuted claims that her son is dead.

Heath was announced dead by several people on social media yesterday, including his former teammate, Henry Olonga.

Heath has not been well for some time and was diagnosed with stage four cancer and has been receiving treatment at home and in South Africa.

Karen said Heath is not well, but he is fine.

“He is here at the farm, walking about and cracking jokes.

“As a family, we are disturbed by the news and the phone has not stopped ringing, considering who Heath is. I am picking up the phones so that I can put the record straight,” Karen said.

The family spokesperson, Joseph Rego also confirmed this morning that Heath is alive and at the farm.

“He is fine, it’s not true that he is no more. I would have been among the first ones to know and release the information,” Rego said.

The news below is not true.

Former Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak died from cancer aged 49 on Tuesday.

Former teammates described him as a legend.

Henry Olonga, a retired pace bowler, described Streak, who was born in Bulawayo, as “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,” Olonga tweeted.

Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams tweeted: “Streaky. No words can explain what you and your family have done for mine and many others. Our hearts are broken, leave behind a beautiful family and a legacy for us to live up to! You will be missed. We love you dearly Rest in peace Streaky.”

Heath is the all-time leading wicket taker for Zimbabwe in Test cricket with 216 wickets and in ODI cricket with 239 wickets.

He is the first and only Zimbabwean bowler to have taken over 100 Test wickets and one of only four Zimbabwean bowlers to have taken over 100 ODI wickets.

He is the first and only Zimbabwean to have completed the double of 1,000 career runs and 100 wickets in test cricket as well as the first and only Zimbabwean to have completed the double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets in ODIs.

With seven five wicket hauls in his test career, he holds the record for taking the most number of five wicket hauls by a Zimbabwean bowler in test cricket.

Streak was hospitalised in South Africa in May after going down with what friends said was colon and liver cancer.

He retired from professional cricket in 2005 and in August 2009 he was appointed as the bowling coach for Zimbabwe. In 2010, along with his former teammate Grant Flower, Streak became a supporting coach of Zimbabwe under former English cricketer Alan Butcher.

In 2013, his contract was not renewed for financial reasons.