However, former Zimbabwean fast bowler Henry Olonga has provided confirmation that Streak is alive and in good health.
Taking the news to X (formerly called as Twitter), Olonga shared a screenshot of his WhatsApp chat with Streak.
“I can confirm that rumours of the demise of Heath Streak have been greatly exaggerated. I just heard from him. The third umpire has called him back. He is very much alive folks,” Olonga posted on his X handle.
Olonga had posted the news of Streak’s death earlier in the day.
“Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side. RIP @ZimCricketv legend. The greatest all-rounder we produced. It was a pleasure playing with you. See you on the other side when my bowling spell comes to an end,” Olonga had written on his X handle.
Apart from Olonga, Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams, India’s premier spinner R Ashwin, VVS Laxman also expressed their sorrow but deleted their posts after Olonga’s post.
Streak played 65 Tests and 189 ODIs for his country between 1993 and 2005 and claimed more than 450 international wickets.
Streak, who was the first Zimbabwean bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs, was known for his impressive all-round skills as a fast-medium bowler and a competent lower-order batsman.
He was also the first cricketer from his country to reach 100 wickets in both Test and ODI formats.
After retiring as a player, Streak took up coaching and was involved with various teams and franchises. He worked as a bowling coach for Bangladesh’s national cricket team and later took up the role of head coach for the team.
However, his coaching career took an unfortunate turn when he was banned from all cricket-related activities for eight years in 2021 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his involvement in corrupt practices.