'Very upset and hurt': Heath Streak responds to 'rumours and lies' of his 'death' in first official reaction to hoax
A visibly disappointed Heath Streak urged everyone to take more responsibility when it comes to delivering news.
Heath Streak has dismissed reports of his death, and informed that he is alive. The former Zimbabwe cricketer although is very 'upset and hurt' that news surrounding his demise spread like wildfire and has demanded the source to put out an apology. A veteran of 65 Tests and 189 ODIs, Streak, who is undergoing treatment for cancer of the liver, was at his home when he and his family members were taken aback by what they heard and saw, and expressed surprise that information as delicate and serios as someone's death is being passed on without proper verification and authentication.
"It is a total rumour 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, I believe the source should apologise. I am hurt by the news," Streak, 49, told Mid-Day in his first official reaction to the news.
News of Streak 'not doing too well' first emerged in March and while there has been no update since, the chaos of Wednesday morning took the internet by storm. Although the first official source is unknown but a post by Sean Williams, captain of the Zimbabwe cricket team, is what seems to have triggered the hoax. Williams wrote on X: "Streaky! No words can explain what you and your family have done for mine and many others. Our hearts our broken you leave behind a beautiful family and a legacy for us to live up to! You will be missed we love you dearly. Rest in peace, Streaky".
Williams was then joined by former Zimbabwe quick and Streak's teammate Henry Olonga, who paid his tributes. Approximately a couple of hours later, Olonga shared a WhatsApp screenshot, which claimed to be his chat with Streak, updating that the ex-skipper is indeed alive. A visibly disappointed Streak added that while he hasn't yet recovered from cancer, he has shown a good amount of improvement, and in a message to the media, urged outlets to take more responsibility when it comes to delivering news.
"People should be a bit more careful before spreading such rumours. I am better now and recovering from cancer. I am at home and obviously there's still a bit of strain because of the treatment. But otherwise, I am fine. Suddenly I get to know that people have started talking about my death, as someone shared it on social media. But that was not all correct. I am recovering and feeling a lot better," Streak told Sportstar.
