Former Zimbabwean captain and one of their all-time greatest cricketers, Heath Streak, died at the age of 49 following a battle with cancer. Between 2000 and 2004, Streak captained Zimbabwe in 65 Tests and 189 ODIs. He is still the only player from his nation to have 100 Test wickets, and over his 12-year career, he frequently carried a shaky bowling unit by himself.
Streak contributed with the bat in his team’s middle order despite mainly being recognized for his pace bowling abilities, scoring a total of 1990 Test runs and 2943 ODI runs throughout the course of his career. He defeated the West Indies in Harare, Zimbabwe, and achieved his first and only Test century (127*).
His spectacular rise began with his debut against Pakistan in 1993, and he made an impression as early as the second Test in Rawalpindi, where he took eight wickets after going wicketless in his debut in Karachi.
Streak retired in 2005 and was given a two-year deal to lead Warwickshire in 2006. However, his time in that position was cut short due to personal concerns with his form. Then, in 2007, he committed to playing in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), effectively ending his career as an international player. Throughout his coaching career, Streak held various positions with the Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders, Bangladesh, Gujarat, Zimbabwe, and Scotland. But when the ICC barred him for violating its anti-corruption laws for eight years, his legacy took a depressing turn.