Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
FORMER Zimbabwe national cricket team captain Heath Streak, who is currently serving an eight year-ban from the game for breaching the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code, is reportedly critically ill, prompting calls for prayers from the public.
David Coltart, who served as Zimbabwe’s minister of education, sport, arts and culture from 2009 to 2013 and a close friend of the Streak family, announced the news of the Zimbabwe cricket legend’s illness on his social media platforms on Saturday morning.
“This is a call to prayer warriors in #Zimbabwe and beyond. Heath Streak, one of the greatest cricketers our nation has ever produced, is extremely ill and needs our prayers. Please could we all be in prayer for him and his family.”
While no details have emerged as to what illness has stricken Streak, sources revealed that the former Zimbabwe captain and coach has been battling cancer.
Streak is currently suspended from cricket activities after he accepted an eight-year ban for breaching the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code two years ago.
After his ban in 2021, Streak retreated to his family’s farm in the Turk Mine area, 60km north of Bulawayo.
Although Streak maintained that he was never involved in match-fixing, he was found guilty of five breaches of the ICC’s code, with his charges including revealing inside information which could be used for betting purposes and failing to disclose a payment in bitcoin from a potential corrupter to anti-corruption officials.
Streak, who is widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest cricketers played 65 Tests and 189 one-day internationals for Zimbabwe between 1993 and 2005.