Heath Streak

Career

Streak started off his career when Zimbabwe made a tour of Pakistan in 1993/1994. He won the Man of the series award in that series when he took 22 wickets at an average of 13.54. In 1995/1996 Streak played in the same team as his father the Matabeleland team in the final of the Lonrho Logan Cup against Mashonaland Country Districts. In 2000/2001, Heath won 2 man of the series awards, in Zimbabwe's tour of England and then in Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe.

Apart from playing for the Zimbabwe National cricket team, Streak also played for various cricket clubs in Zimbabwe and International teams which include Ahmedabad Rockets, Hampshire, Matabeleland, Warwickshire. Heath was also part of a select side comprised made up of other cricketers from the African continent. Read More Streak resigned from playing international cricket in October 2005.

Coaching Career

He was the Zimbabwe cricket team bowling coach between 2009 and 2013. He was in charge of the Bulawayo-based franchise Matabeleland Tuskers in the 2012-13 season, and in May 2014 Streak was appointed the bowling coach of the Bangladesh Cricket side on a two-year contract. .^[4] He coached for Bangladesh from 2014 to 2016. In 2016 he was hired as the Head Coach of the Zimbabwe Cricket team. It was reported that he was tasked with ensuring Zimbabwe qualify for the 2019 World Cup and he will be allowed to continue in his role as bowling coach for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL. ^[5]

Dismisal

In March 2018, Heath Streak was dismissed as the Head Coach of Zimbabwe Cricket Team. This followed after the National Team did not qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Streak believed he did not deserve to be fired because he won Zimbabwe’s first One Day International away series victory when they defeated Sri Lanka last year. Said Streak:

We were not given any explanation, never got any chance to explain ourselves. All we got was an e-mail from the Managing Director. I was told to communicate with the other members of the technical team that we should resign by 3pm on Friday or we would be fired. None of the guys resigned, so we have been summarily dismissed. My staff and I didn’t deserve to be sacked, we won first series in 17 years, we never had such crowds that we saw during the Qualifier even during my playing days. If we had failed to make the Super Six of the Qualifier then we deserved to be fired.

Ban For Breaching ICC Anti-Corruption Code

On 14 April 2021, it was announced that Streak had been banned from all cricket for eight years after he accepted five charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

Streak was charged as a participant under the Code by virtue of his status as the coach of Zimbabwe from 2016 to 2018 and as the coach of various domestic teams. The charges were as follows:

2.3.2 – disclosing inside information under both the ICC Code and various domestic Codes, in circumstances where he knew or should have known that such information may be used for betting purposes. In particular, he disclosed inside information in relation to matches in the 2018 Tri-Series involving Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the Zimbabwe v Afghanistan series in 2018, the IPL 2018 and the APL 2018.

2.3.3 – directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any participant to breach the Code. In particular, he facilitated or attempted to facilitate the introduction of four different players, including a national captain, to someone he knew, or should have known, may have wanted to approach them to provide inside information for betting purposes.

2.4.2 – Failing to disclose the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that the participant knew or should have known was given to them to procure a breach of the Code or that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.

2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code including in relation to international matches, matches in the 2017 BPL, the 2018 Pakistan Super League, the 2018 IPL and the 2018 APL.

Article 2.4.7 – obstructing or delaying an investigation, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and / or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

Under the provisions of the Code, Streak chose to admit the charges and agreed the sanction with the ICC in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing. He will be free to resume his involvement in the game on 28 March 2029.^[6]

Test career

Matches: 65.

• Runs: 1990.
• Best Score: 127*.
• 100’s/50’s: 1/11.
• Wickets: 216.5w’s/10w’s:7/0
• Best Bowling: 6/73.
• Bowl Average: 28.14.
• Catches: 17 ^[7]

One Day International Career

Matches: 189

• Runs: 2943.
• Best Score: 79*.
• 100’s/50’s: 0/13.
• Bat Average: 28.29.
• Wickets: 239.
• 5w’s/10w’s: 1/0.
• Best Bowling: 5/32.
• Bowl Average: 29.82.
• Catches: 46.^[7]

First Class Career

• Matches: 309.
• Runs: 5,684.
• Best Score: 131.
• 100’s: 6/27.
• Bat Average: 26.31.
• Wickets: 449.
• 5/10 wicket’s: 17/2.
• Best Bowling: 7/55.
• Bowl Average: 28.765.
• Catches: 58.^[7]

List A Career

• Matches: 309.
• Runs: 4089.
• Best Score: 90*.
• 100’s/50’s: 0/14.
• Bat Average: 25.71.
• Wickets: 385.
• 5/10 wicket’s: 1/0.
• Best Bowling: 5/32.
• Bowl Average: 28.55.
• Catches: 75.^[7]

T20 Career

• Matches: 19.
• Runs: 333.
• Best Score: 59.
• 100’s: 0/1.
• Bat Average: 27.75.
• Wickets: 24.
• 5/10 wicket’s: 0/0.
• Best Bowling: 3/18.
• Bowl Average: 22.37.
• Catches: 7.^[7]

Philanthropy Work

Streak opened a sports club in his hometown of Bulawayo and he named after himself. The club was reportedly not only equipped for cricket but other sporting disciplines such as swimming, hockey, five-a-side soccer and a state of the art gymnasium.^[8]

Death

Streak died on 3 September 2023 at the family’s Enthokozweni Farm in Inyathi, Matabeleland North. He had spent some time in South Africa undergoing treatment for colon and liver cancer.

References