Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Heath Streak has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment in South Africa. Media reports previously claimed that the legendary cricketer was currently on his deathbed but his family recently clarified that to be not the case as he is in ‘good spirits’.
The statement also read that the 49-year-old will keep fighting cancer in a similar fashion as he did against all opponents during his playing days and further added that they want the fans to understand the situation and respect their privacy in this dire situation.
“Heath has cancer and is undergoing treatment under one of the most respected oncologists in South Africa. Heath remains in good spirits and will continue to fight this disease in a similar vein with which he faced his opponents during his playing days on the cricket field.
“The family hopes that you understand and respect their wish for this to remain a private family matter, and they wish to thank you for your prayers and good wishes,” his family said in a statement.
Notably, Streak represented Zimbabwe in 65 Test matches and 189 ODIs, scoring 1990 runs and 2943 runs, respectively. The former skipper also has 216 wickets to his name in the longest format of the game while picking 239 in the 50-over format. Meanwhile, the cricketer relinquished his position as the skipper of the team in 2004 before calling his time in the year 2005 at the age of just 31.
Since then, Streak went on to coach many franchises all over the world, including two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, now-defunct Gujarat Lions, Somerset and also the Bangladesh national team. He also worked as a consultant for the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association Academy.
Interestingly, Streak got involved in a fixing scandal, for which ICC suspended him for eight years in 2021. He was said to have accepted payments from potential corruptor, Indian businessman Deepak Agarwal, for which he later apologised and stated that he had never any intention to corrupt the game.