Heath Streak
Encyclopedia
Heath Hilton Streak is a former Zimbabwe
an cricket
er. He made his Test debut in Zimbabwe's tour of Pakistan
1993/1994 making his mark by taking 8 wickets in the 2nd Test at Rawalpindi
(December 9–14, 1993). He won the Man of the series award in that series taking 22 wickets at an average of 13.54.
He bettered his best bowling figures in 1995 when Pakistan toured Zimbabwe taking 6/90 in the first Test at Harare
.
In 1995/96, Streak played in the same Matabeleland
team as his 46-year-old father Denis
in the final of the Lonrho Logan Cup against Mashonaland Country Districts; this was the first instance of a father and son playing in the same first-class match for more than thirty years.
In 2000/2001, he won 2 man of the series awards, first in Zimbabwe's tour of England
and then in Bangladesh
's tour of Zimbabwe.
He is the only Zimbabwean bowler to have taken over 100 Test wickets and one of only 2 Zimbabwean bowlers to have taken over 100 ODI wickets (the other being Grant Flower
). There is little doubt that he is the best bowler to have played for Zimbabwe, with the ability to extract seam movement at a lively pace on even the deadest of wickets.
He retired from international cricket in October 2005 to become captain of Warwickshire County Cricket Club
having previously played county cricket for Hampshire
. He also captains his fellow exiled Anglo-African players from Zimbabwe in the Red Lions team, which plays charity games in England.
On 25 April 2007, Streak resigned as Warwickshire captain, saying captaining the side was affecting his on field abilities. He was replaced as captain by Darren Maddy
. At the end of the 2007 season he left Warwickshire citing family reasons.
At the bottom of the year of 2007, he joined the Ahmedabad Rockets
in the Indian Cricket League
. He played two seasons in the ICL along with appearing in the Hong Kong sixes.
In 2009, he cut his ties with ICL, and in that August was appointed as the bowling coach of Zimbabwean national team. He was also given the responsibility of working with the young Zimbabwean fast bowlers and for franchise cricket.
Later it also appeared that Heath Streak is the most possible candidate for the head coach job of Zimbabwean national team when the contract of Walter Chwaguta ends. It is believed that Walter Chwaguta will be Streak's assistant coach.
that he was faced with moral challenges in captaining Zimbabwe. He said that he was asked to tell white players that they were not talented enough and were to be replaced by black players.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He made his Test debut in Zimbabwe's tour of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
1993/1994 making his mark by taking 8 wickets in the 2nd Test at Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
(December 9–14, 1993). He won the Man of the series award in that series taking 22 wickets at an average of 13.54.
He bettered his best bowling figures in 1995 when Pakistan toured Zimbabwe taking 6/90 in the first Test at Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
.
In 1995/96, Streak played in the same Matabeleland
Matabeleland
Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people...
team as his 46-year-old father Denis
Denis Streak
Denis Hilton Streak is a former Zimbabwean first class cricketer and the father of Test player Heath Streak. Apart from playing cricket he also represented Zimbabwe at lawn bowls....
in the final of the Lonrho Logan Cup against Mashonaland Country Districts; this was the first instance of a father and son playing in the same first-class match for more than thirty years.
In 2000/2001, he won 2 man of the series awards, first in Zimbabwe's tour of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and then in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
's tour of Zimbabwe.
He is the only Zimbabwean bowler to have taken over 100 Test wickets and one of only 2 Zimbabwean bowlers to have taken over 100 ODI wickets (the other being Grant Flower
Grant Flower
Grant William Flower is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He is rated among the best Zimbabwean cricketers in history for his handy left arm spin and fine batting skills. He was a fitness fanatic who spends hours in the gym, and was also regarded as a brilliant fielder who was usually seen in the gully...
). There is little doubt that he is the best bowler to have played for Zimbabwe, with the ability to extract seam movement at a lively pace on even the deadest of wickets.
He retired from international cricket in October 2005 to become captain of Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
having previously played county cricket for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. He also captains his fellow exiled Anglo-African players from Zimbabwe in the Red Lions team, which plays charity games in England.
On 25 April 2007, Streak resigned as Warwickshire captain, saying captaining the side was affecting his on field abilities. He was replaced as captain by Darren Maddy
Darren Maddy
Darren Lee Maddy is an English cricketer who plays first class cricket for Warwickshire. He played three Tests and eight One Day Internationals for England, making one international fifty in his ten innings between 1998 and 2000 before he was finally dropped following the tour of Zimbabwe in 2000,...
. At the end of the 2007 season he left Warwickshire citing family reasons.
At the bottom of the year of 2007, he joined the Ahmedabad Rockets
Ahmedabad Rockets
Ahmedabad Rockets was one of the nine teams played in the defunct Indian Cricket League. The captain is former Australian international batsman Damien Martyn...
in the Indian Cricket League
Indian Cricket League
The Indian Cricket League was a private cricket league funded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that operated between 2007 and 2009 in India...
. He played two seasons in the ICL along with appearing in the Hong Kong sixes.
In 2009, he cut his ties with ICL, and in that August was appointed as the bowling coach of Zimbabwean national team. He was also given the responsibility of working with the young Zimbabwean fast bowlers and for franchise cricket.
Later it also appeared that Heath Streak is the most possible candidate for the head coach job of Zimbabwean national team when the contract of Walter Chwaguta ends. It is believed that Walter Chwaguta will be Streak's assistant coach.
Controversies
Heath Streak claimed in an interview in The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
that he was faced with moral challenges in captaining Zimbabwe. He said that he was asked to tell white players that they were not talented enough and were to be replaced by black players.
External links
- http://www.cricinfo.com/zimbabwe/content/story/423665.html
- http://www.cricinfo.com/zimbabwe/content/story/421979.html
- http://www.cricinfo.com/zimbabwe/content/player/55761.html