Cricket great confirmed alive after fake news reports

Zimbabwean cricket fable Heath Streak is inactive alive, his parent has confirmed.

That is not usually a connection that would marque quality but successful this lawsuit erroneous reports of Streak's decease were truthful widespread, quality that helium successful information wasn't is starring quality sites successful Zimbabwe.

Streak is live contrary to a big of affectional tributes posted connected societal media, including 1 by erstwhile teammate Henry Olonga, which led to a agelong database of publications, including Wide World of Sports, incorrectly reporting helium had died.

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On Wednesday morning, the cricket satellite was rocked when, arsenic it's turned out, it was incorrectly reported that Streak mislaid his conflict against crab astatine the property of 49.

"Heath is not well, but helium is fine. He is present astatine the farm, walking astir and cracking jokes," said his parent Karen, arsenic quoted by Zimbabwean work The Chronicle.

"As a family, we are disturbed by the quality and the telephone has not stopped ringing, considering who Heath is. I americium picking up the phones truthful that I enactment the grounds straight."

Olonga posted connected societal media a screenshot of a WhatsApp speech with Streak.

"Very overmuch live ... Revert this run-out immediately, buddy," Streak wrote.

"So bully to hear. This happening grew legs quickly. You died overnight brother," replied Olonga, who dropped a laughing emoji.

"I tin corroborate that rumours of the demise of Heath Streak person been greatly exaggerated," Olonga wrote successful his caption.

"I conscionable heard from him. The 3rd umpire has called him back. He is precise overmuch alive, folks."

It was revealed successful May that Streak, an iron-willed accelerated bowler and useful batter successful the 1990s and 2000s, was being treated for cancer.

From 254 planetary matches, helium took 455 wickets and scored 4983 runs, including a period and 11 half-centuries.

He is Zimbabwe's highest wicket-taker successful history.

Streak was appointed the Zimbabwean captaincy successful 2000, but hostility with the committee implicit wage and quotas took its toll, starring to his resignation arsenic skipper. He was reappointed successful 2002, but the stresses that came with the presumption again wore him down.

He retired from planetary cricket successful 2005 and held respective coaching roles implicit the years that followed, including with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

In 2021, he was dealt an eight-year ban aft being charged with 5 breaches of the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code.

"Heath has crab and is undergoing attraction nether 1 of the astir respected oncologists successful South Africa," his household said successful a connection astatine the time.

"He remains successful bully spirits and volition proceed to combat this illness successful a akin vein to that which his opponents faced during his revered days connected the cricket field."