The Old Chevrons proudly donned their vintage cricket
shirts, while the younger generation sported the new iconic red jerseys, all
coming together to celebrate the remarkable life of one of Zimbabwe’s greatest
cricketers. Streak, who tragically lost his battle with cancer at the age of 49
on Sunday morning, leaves a void not only in Zimbabwe but in the entire
cricketing world, while ascending to cricketing heavens.
Close friend, Sunu Gonera, said Streak had found his way to
a better place.
“This curtain call, is not the final fall, it’s a call to a
higher place, to a wider space to a place called home which is paradise, home
with the King. This isn’t all, I will see you again, we have been friends since
we were 10/11 years old, we lived a good life together,” said Gonera
It was not just Gonera who paid his final respects to the
gentle giant, the Matabele Bull but many others, from his playing days, to his
coaching days and the future stars. Present at the service was also another
long-time friend and former Zimbabwe international, John Rennie, who delivered
a heart-touching message.
From the time the two met up until he bowled his last,
Streak was not just a cricket giant but a man of the people, a man who touched
so many lives on and off the field of play and his legacy will live on.
Rennie also told people that at the time Streak was
diagnosed with cancer, he waited a bit to notify his family as his son, Harry
had a major rugby match coming up in England where he is studying and his
daughter, Holly had university exams so for the love he had for them, he
couldn’t tell them immediately.
The memorial service was also attended by former Sports
Minister, Kirsty Coventry, Lady Chevrons star, Sharne Mayers, Brendan Taylor,
Ray Price, Craig Ervine, Alistair Campbell, Hamilton Masakadza, Nick Singo and
Chris Mpofu.
For Taylor, he is grateful for all the memories they
created, playing together and also the time Streak was Zimbabwe’s head coach.
“I looked up to him, he had a huge presence on the field. I
was very fortunate to play with him, play against him and learn so much from
him. It’s testament to what an amazing man he was here today, so many people
have come out to love and support and share condolences and to celebrate his
life. I will cherish my memories with him forever and I will always be grateful
and indebted to him and thoughts to his family and loved ones at this moment
but we are here to celebrate him and we will forever cherish our memories
forever,” said Taylor.
Streak, throughout his cricketing journey lost some battles
with the Zimbabwe national team but his last has been the most felt by all
those who knew and loved him.
“The Matabele Bull”, as Streak, the late Chevrons captain
and head coach was affectionately known, was the epitome of captaincy who rode
the journey with Zimbabwe Cricket in its best and worst days. He proudly and
passionately steered the Chevrons’ ship to success and when it sank, he was
there as well, he never turned his back.
For that, and for those years of loyal service to Zimbabwe
Cricket, for those 254 proud appearances for Zimbabwe in One Day Internationals
(ODIs) and Tests, for those 455 international wickets and for those 4 933
international runs, thank you skip and fare thee well, you played your part and
touched so many souls and for that, your legacy will live forever.
Growing up on a family farm at Enthokozweni in Inyathi,
Matabeleland North, Streak was a man of the people who touched so many lives
and the number of tributes that poured in were testament to that. His community
in Inyathi cried a huge loss for a man whose door was always open.
Despite travelling all over the world through cricket,
Streak never forgot his roots, where it all started at his family farm. He was
proud of who he was and never forgot his background and was one of the few
people who managed to don Zimbabwean colours in more than just one discipline.
At the time of his death, he got his Zimbabwe Fishing
colours as well as his green blazer for Zimbabwe in fishing. He was very proud
to be one of the few who got rugby colours, cricket colours and fishing colours
for Zimbabwe.
“He was a very proud Zimbabwean, a very proud Matabele and
a very proud member of our community and district and we all mourn his
loss. It’s sad but he is in a better
place now, he was in pain suffering from cancer,” said his teary father, Denis.
In the 50-over format, Streak had 189 caps for Zimbabwe
while making 65 appearances in Tests (second most capped player in the format).
He made his debut as a 19-year-old just after completing his high school at
Falcon College, his playing career spanned 12 years, from 1993-2005. He is
Zimbabwe’s leading bowler, with 216 Test wickets and 239 ODI wickets and also
the only Zimbabwean bowler to take more than 100 Test wickets and over 200 ODI
wickets.
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.
Streak is also the country’s seventh-highest Test
run-scorer, with 1 990 runs, and one of the 16 Zimbabwe batters to score more
than 2 000 ODI runs, finishing with 2 943 runs.
He finished with one Test ton and 11 half centuries. His
highest score in the format is 127 runs not out while in ODIs, his highest is
an unbeaten 79 runs. He was first appointed Chevrons skipper in 2000 before he
resigned and was re-appointed to the role in 2002.
In April 2004 he quit after the Zimbabwe board refused to
give him guarantees over selection.
After a bitter stand-off with the board, Streak finally
returned to the fold in March 2005 and was immediately restored to a struggling
side. He was appointed captain of Warwickshire for the 2006 season after
signing a two-year contract, but quit the captaincy one match into the 2007
season.
When he decided to call time on his playing career, Streak
went into coaching. However, his coaching career had always been about playing
a supporting role.
He was once the Chevrons’ bowling coach, but it was his
stint as bowling coach of Bangladesh that brought him great success. Bangladesh
scored some great victories over the likes of South Africa in the one-day game
and also whitewashed Zimbabwe in the Test and one-day series during Streak’s
time with the Asian side. He also had coaching stints in the Indian Premier
League (IPL) with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Zimbabwe lost a humble legend, a true gentleman and your
contributions to the sport of cricket, both as a player and a coach, are
immeasurable. You wrote your name is stone in cricket’s folklore.
You left an indelible mark on the sport and your community
at large, you led the country with pride and honour, and you were and are a
hero to thousands of Zimbabweans. Your legacy is sealed and we will forever be
grateful for your immense contribution.
Today we stand united bidding you farewell; we will find
solace in the memories of your exceptional cricketing career and draw
inspiration from the countless lives you have touched through the sport.
We wish strength to your family, friends and all those you
touched throughout your brilliant innings, your legacy is sealed and will never
be forgotten. Chronicle
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