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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Zimbabwe cricket team captain Heath Streak is one of the six mentors competing for the vacant national coach’s position whose application process closed last Friday.
Streak who has been in the country since the beginning of June after concluding a bowling coach role with Indian Premier League side Gujarat Lions authenticated that he had applied for the job left vacant by the sacking of Australian Davenell Whatmore. The 42-year old said he was confident of landing the job.
“I applied for the job, whether I get it or not I don’t know it, it is up to the board if I do get the job from the point of ability I have got confidence, there has to be working together between administration and the board for the coach to succeed. Coaching your own country it’s a big thing,’’ said Streak.
On what took him time to show interest in coaching his country, Streak explained that he was still seeking advice on whether he would be allowed to take up his role with Gujarat Lions during the IPL. Seeing that there is no international cricket during the IPL, he was given assurance that would not be any conflict and he can be released from his contract.
Streak had been engaged by Indian state Uttar Pradesh as a bowling consultant in the build up to the Asian country’s domestic season. If he is appointed Zimbabwe coach it means he has to would not be able to take up that post in India. A holder of a level two coaching certificate, the former Zimbabwe all rounder disclosed that his plan is to upgrade to level three at the International Cricket Council Academy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the end of the year.
As a head coach, Streak won the Logan Cup twice with Matabeleland Tuskers and also lifted the same trophy as assistant to David Houghton with the same team.
In 2103, Streak was left not amused with the way ZC treated him when they did not renew his contract as national team bowling coach when it expired at the end of March that year. He was appointed into the same role by Bangladesh in May 2014, a post he held until his resignation this year.
Former South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, initially hired as the Zimbabwe bowling mentor in January this year has been in an acting head coach role since Whatmore was sacked for poor results.
Ntini took charge of the India limited overs contest as well as the two Tests against New Zealand. ZC decided to go public with their search for the new coach last month after the private route did not yield any favourable results.
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