Rumors abounded on social media that Heath Streak, one of the most important figures in Zimbabwean cricket history, tragically passed away at the age of 49 on Wednesday, 22 August. However, the former all-rounder confirmed that he is fine and is indeed alive. To spread relief to the entire cricket world. Streak has been battling liver and colon cancer for a long time and was in critical condition a few months ago in South Africa, but he is still going strong in his fight against the disease.
Streak made his international debut in 1993 and was given the captaincy in 2000. He led the country through a somewhat tumultuous time until he was dismissed in 2004 and replaced by Tatenda Taibu. He announced his retirement from international cricket in October 2005 and briefly represented Warwickshire in England. Streak’s last cricketing effort came at the Master’s Champions League in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he represented the Leo Lions.
Her former partner, Henry Olonga, announced the sad news via a tweet early Wednesday.
“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,”‘ he had written.
It was Henry Olonga who denied the news related to the streak’s demise. Through another tweet, he shared a screenshot of his conversation with his former partner, where he mentioned that she was alive. Fans were happy to hear that the former cricketer was alive and well and shared their feelings on social media. Here are some reactions on Twitter:
Zimbabwean legend Heath Streak confirms he's alive. pic.twitter.com/KF8OtFmGx6
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 23, 2023
Streak ki streak abhi nahi tooti !! pic.twitter.com/Bc4qPSgAoJ
— vinay chawla (@oh_dudeee) August 23, 2023
Relieved to confirm that Heath Streak, the former @ZimCricketv 🇿🇼 cricket legend, is very much alive and well. We continue to celebrating his remarkable contributions to the sport! pic.twitter.com/mHjrlg9TCn
— Zimbabwe (@Zimbabwe_EN) August 23, 2023
Cricketer #HeathStreak declared de@d at 6 AM
And now declared alive at 10 AM 🤔😳 pic.twitter.com/0sxbcryPuR
— Rahul Tahiliani (@Rahultahiliani9) August 23, 2023
“It Is A Total Rumor And A Lie” – Heath Streak
Heath Streak released a short statement regarding the events of the past few hours. He confirmed that the news of his demise was a rumor and expressed dismay over fake stories spreading like wildfire on social media without any proper verification. Despite retiring almost two decades ago, he still remains the country’s leading wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs. The streak also holds several other records which, combined with his captaincy abilities, make him arguably the greatest player to ever play the game for Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe cricket has certainly turned upside down since his retirement and the country is struggling to be at its best in the current conditions. The team’s win over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 and their victory over the West Indies on home soil in the ODI World Cup qualifiers would have made the former captain extremely proud.
