Heath Streak Obituary: One Of Zimbabwe’s Greatest Cricketers | Wisden Almanack 2024 (2024)

Heath Streak died on September 3, 2023, aged 49. He had more than 200 wickets in both Tests and ODIs, and nearly 5,000 runs across the two formats. He was remembered in the 2024 Wisden Almanack.

STREAK, HEATH HILTON, who died of colon and liver cancer on September 3, aged 49,was the leader of Zimbabwe’s attack in 65 Tests and 187 ODIs, establishing national wicket-takingrecords in both formats. He was one of his country’s greatest cricketers, respected asmuch for his unflagging commitment as his five-fors, his hard-hitting runs down the orderand, before back injuries and workload took their toll, his predatory presence in the covers.“He was a genuinely world-class fast bowler,” said his former team-mate Andy Flower.Streak, the only man to both take 100 Testwickets and pass 1,000 runs for Zimbabwe,had two spells as captain, and tried to act asa unifying force in troubled times, butbecame mired in politics and disputes withthe governing body.

His legacy was tainted, however, by aneight-year ban imposed by the ICC in 2021for five breaches of the anti-corruptioncode, after passing on betting informationand contact details of players to DeepakAgarwal, an Indian businessman identifiedas a “potential corrupter”. Streak accepteda Bitcoin payment of $35,000. He apologisedand took full responsibility, claiminghe was unaware that Agarwal – who hebelieved was interested in setting up a T20league in Zimbabwe – was connected withillegal gambling: “I was not involved inany match-fixing, spot-fixing or attemptsto influence a game or share informationfrom a change-room during a match at anytime in our relationship.” Flower spoke formany: “I was astounded when I heard aboutthis. I can’t believe Heath would haveknowingly got involved in anything to dowith influencing matches.”

His admirers preferred to remember his exploits as a cricketer. At Lord’s in 2000, as histeam were thrashed by England, Streak took 6-87. A memorable duel with theZimbabwe-born Graeme Hick, who went on to a century, earned Streak ovations eachtime he returned to field in front of the Warner Stand. “At his peak he bowled 140kph-plus, swung it away and got bounce,” said Flower. “He could also bowl an off-cutter thatwas not a slower ball. He was very accurate, which meant we sometimes used him as astock bowler, meaning he was often overworked.”

At 6ft 1in, Streak was not especially tall for a fast bowler, but he was muscular andimmensely strong, earning the nickname “Stack”. He had been a rugby full-back as a boy,and retained an imposing stature. But he still moved smoothly in the field – “he remindedme of a big cat,” said Flower. Mark Nicholas, his captain at Hampshire in 1995, added:“He fielded as if he were fighting a war.” As for his batting, Streak did not pay fullattention to his prowess until later in his career, but ended with a first-class average of 26.

The son of Denis, who played for Rhodesia, and appeared alongside Heath in a first-classgame in 1996, and Sheona, a hockey international, Streak grew up on the large family farm,founded by his English great-grandfather, near the village of Turk Mine in Matabeleland,35 miles from Bulawayo. At a young age, he became fluent in Ndebele, which provedvaluable in his dealings with Zimbabwe’s black players. Seam bowler Chris Mpofu recalled:“When the team went to his farm, we would find him speaking Ndebele to his dad. It wasactually pleasing to see white people love something that is part of us and our culture.”

In March 1993, aged 19, Streak made his first-class debut for Zimbabwe B against atouring Kent side. That summer, nearly a year after they had been granted Test status, hecame to England with a Zimbabwean touring party. By the end of the year, still a teenager,he became a Test player, winning his first cap against Pakistan at Karachi. He bowled 39wicketless overs, but had better luck in the next game, at Rawalpindi, with match figuresof 8-114. He was also central to Zimbabwe’s first Test victory, at the 11th attempt,taking 6-90 and 3-15 as Pakistan were beaten by an innings at Harare early in1995. “Heath Streak has developed into a seamer who would probably get into any Testside bar West Indies,” wrote Geoffrey Dean in The Daily Telegraph.

Further victories proved hard to come by, but Zimbabwe became tough, resilientopponents, as England found in 1996/97, when both Tests were drawn. In the winter of1998-99, they defeated India in a one-off Test in Harare, and followed up with a 1-0 winin a three-match series in Pakistan. Streak took over the captaincy in 2000, and led histeam to another notable victory in 2001, against India at Harare, to square a two-matchseries. His seven wickets included Sachin Tendulkar in both innings.But the team were entering a period of change as the Zimbabwe Cricket Union began topush for more players of colour. The seniors believed that few players were ready forpromotion, and that forcing their inclusion would cause long-term harm. Around the sametime, president Robert Mugabe’s programme of seizing land owned by white families sentthe country into turmoil and economic decline. The Streak family lost 70 per cent of their land –Denis was briefly jailed for protesting – but they retained enough to run a farm, safari parkand primary school they had built. In 2022, Heath told the writer Firdose Moonda: “Ibelieve we are very lucky to have a farm, so we will just crack on with what we have left. My dad and I are very committed to the farm and community.”

In October 2001, he resigned as captain, three days before the start of a one-day tri-seriesin Sharjah. But he was back in charge for the 2003 World Cup, which Zimbabwe co-hosted,and was criticised for not joining the black-armband protests against Mugabe staged byFlower and Henry Olonga. “People have their choices,” said Streak. “I do have opinions, andI have been affected both politically and economically by what is going on. But I don’t thinkit’s a good idea to make a big song and dance over cricket because of what is happeningpolitically. People may not like that, but it doesn’t mean I’m insensitive to the issues.” Healso led the team on a troubled tour of England in 2003, when they were bested in both Tests.Streak’s efforts to inspire a faltering team were never in doubt: against West Indies at Hararethat November, he scored an unbeaten Test hundred from No. 8.

In April 2004, he threatened to resign for a second time during a stand-off with theboard. Officials called his bluff, and he quit. The rows were not just over transformation:the players frequently went unpaid. “I was fed up of telling quality players they didn’tdeserve to be in the team when we all knew that was false,” he recalled. “Our meetingshave been held in such a bad spirit. There have been tempers and people walking out andshouting and banging on tables.” His resignation caused the mass departure of 13 whiteplayers. Even so, he returned to play in six further Tests in 2005 under the captaincy ofTatenda Taibu. Zimbabwe were routinely hammered but, in his final match, against Indiaat Harare, he took 6-73, his best Test figures – in a 10-wicket defeat.

Streak had two spells in county cricket. After a decent season at Hampshire, where hetook 52 first-class wickets at 27, he had more success at Warwickshire between 2004 and2007. On his Championship debut, against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston, he had matchfigures of 13-158, eclipsing a county record established more than a century earlier;that summer, Warwickshire won the title. He was appointed club captain in 2006 but,increasingly troubled by a back injury, resigned early the following season. He wasinvolved in setting up the unauthorised Indian Cricket League in 2008, and had spells asbowling coach with Scotland, Somerset and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Streak was always drawn back to Zimbabwe. “He was a boy from the bush, and he lovedbeing back on the farm,” said Dean, who became a close friend. Streak was appointednational coach in 2016, and felt the team were making steady progress, but he was sackedwhen they failed to reach the 2019 World Cup after losing a qualifier to the UAE. Olonga,who prematurely announced his death on Twitter in August, called him a “titan”, whileWasim Akram saluted his “fierce competitive nature”. Tavengwa Mukuhlani, chairman ofZimbabwe Cricket, said: “He played with passion, spirit and was nothing less than aninspirational figure who raised our flag high and touched lives within the sport and beyond.”

On the day of his death, there was a minute’s silence before the start of Hampshire’sChampionship match against Somerset. Streak had been optimistic that a treatment on hiscancers was going well, and a few weeks before his death represented his country at fishingagainst South Africa at Lake Mutirikwi. To his great pride, Zimbabwe won.

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