Hamba Kahle Streaky: Highlanders FC

FOOTBALL giants, Highlanders FC yesterday bid farewell to the late Zimbabwe Cricket icon Heath Streak who succumbed to cancer on Sunday at the age of 49 at his family farm in Inyathi.

Streak was a Highlanders benefactor and according to his father, Denis, he loved the team as he was an avid fan of all things sport and would assist whenever Bosso approached him.

In a statement, Highlanders Chairman, Johnfat Sibanda said Streak’s loss was huge for the sporting world and his legacy will live forever and Highlanders will never forget him.

“The Highlanders Football Club family would like to take this opportunity to convey its heartfelt condolences to the Streak family following the demise of a cricket legend and club benefactor, Heath Streak who took his last breath on Sunday.

“Heath, who won many hearts through his amazing talent, first as a player and later on as a coach, leaves behind a very rich legacy that deserves a special place in the Zimbabwean sporting ecosystem. The club shall always remember Heath for his unwavering love and support for the club, which he demonstrated by being always available every time the club reached out to him for help,” said Sibanda.

He said Bosso will continue to celebrate the life of the gentle giant for it was well lived and he leaves behind a rich legacy that shall be cherished forever by generations to come.

“We say Rest in Peace, Hamba kahle Streaky,” said Sibanda.

The late Streak was a true legend of the game and tributes continue coming from all the four corners of the world. He was a man of the people who embraced the local community where the family farm is hence he spoke Ndebele fluently.

He was a hero of Zimbabwe’s first-ever Test match victory, over Pakistan at Harare Sports Club in the 1994/95 season, taking nine wickets in the match.

He lead Zimbabwe’s bowling and in his 65 Test matches he took 216 wickets and remains the only Zimbabwean to have taken more than 100 wickets in the game’s longest format, for an average of 28.14, with best figures of 6/73 in his final Test match against India in Harare in the 2005/06 season.

He managed to achieve a rare feat of 2 000 runs and 200 wickets in One Day Internationals (ODIs) in just 187 appearances for the Chevrons where he scored 2 901 runs for Zimbabwe at 28,44 and 237 wickets at 29,81.

Streak will always be remembered as one of Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketers and his funeral arrangements are yet to be announced but there is a memorial service on Friday in Bulawayo. —@brandon_malvin