A statement released on behalf of his family confirms the 49-year-old has undergone treatment in South Africa
Heath Streak, the ex-Zimbabwe captain and allrounder, is undergoing treatment for cancer in South Africa.
The 49-year-old played 65 Tests and 189 one-day internationals for his country, captaining them across formats between 2000 and 2004.
He scored 4,933 international runs, hitting a single century against West Indies in Harare, and claimed 445 wickets.
A statement released through his family confirming the news said Streak was "in good spirits" and "would continue to fight this disease".
"Heath has cancer and is undergoing treatment under one of the most respected oncologists in South Africa," a family statement read.
"He remains in good spirits and will continue to fight this disease in a similar vein to that which his opponents faced during his revered days on the cricket field.
Streak scored 4,933 runs and took 445 wickets for Zimbabwe (Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
"The family hopes that you understand and respect their wish for this to remain a private family matter, and thank you for your prayers and good wishes.
"There will be no further official statements regarding his health at this time. Any news that becomes public should be regarded as rumour."
Following his retirement in 2007, Streak held coaching roles with Bangladesh, Kolkata Knight Riders and Somerset, and returned in several guises for Zimbabwe.
In 2021, the ICC issued him with an eight-year ban for five breaches of their anti-corruption code. The charges, which he admitted to, included taking payment from a potential corruptor. While insisting he was not involved in fixing, he did concede to disclosing potentially sensitive information around international and franchise matches.
Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on everything England - including leading coverage of England in India, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.
Posted by Vincent Mfundisi on 15/05/2023 at 09:46
Be strong Streaky hit cancer for six chap
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.