New Delhi: Heath Streak, former Zimbabwe captain and veteran all-rounder, died on Tuesday at the age of 49. He was reportedly suffering from colon and liver cancer for a long time and was undergoing treatment in South Africa for the same.
Streak played 65 Tests and 189 ODIs in an inspiring career spanning over a decade and was part of Zimbabwe’s golden generation of players between 1997 to 2002.
“It was a pleasure playing with you. See you on the other side when my bowling spell comes to an end,” posted Streak’s former teammate Henry Olonga on micro-blogging platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter). The current Zimbabwe skipper also paid tribute to the legendary all-rounder.
“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,” Williams posted on micro-blogging platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter).
Heath Streak, one of the finest bowling all-rounders of all time in international cricket, bagged a total of 216 wickets in 65 Tests. During this, he attained a 4-wicket haul in an innings, 16 times, and a 5-wicket haul in an innings, 7 times.
In ODIs, Streak was able to pick 239 wickets at an average of 29.82. The Zimbabwe legend scored 1,990 runs (1 century, 11 half-centuries) in Tests while 2,943 runs (13 half-centuries) in ODIs.