Former captain of Zimbabwe's national cricket team Heath Streak has passed away at the age of 49, his wife said on Sunday.
"In the early hours of this morning, Sunday the 3rd of September 2023, the greatest love of my life and the father of my beautiful children, was carried to be with the Angels from his home where he wished to spend his last days surrounded by his family and closest loved ones. He was covered in love and peace and did not walk off the Park alone. Our souls are joined for eternity Streaky. Till I hold you again", Heath's wife Nadine Streak wrote on social media.
The confirmation of the cricketer's demise comes only days after reports emerged last month that he had died after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Many people believed the news to be true as it was shared by Streak's former Zimbabwe teammate Henry Olonga.
However, Streak dismissed those rumors, announcing that he was very much "alive".
"It is a total rumor and a lie. I'm alive and well. I am very upset to learn that something as big as someone apparently passing can be spread unverified, especially in our day and age of social media", Streak said at the time.
Streak leaves a rich cricketing legacy behind as he remains Zimbabwe's highest wicket-taker in both ODIs and Test cricket. While Streak retired with 216 wickets in red-ball cricket, he finished with 237 scalps in the ODIs.