ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani says the eight-year ban for corruption handed to former captain and coach Heath Streak is the sport’s darkest day in the country.
The 47-year-old Streak admitted five breaches of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code and agreed to the sanction that was revealed on Wednesday.
“This is a very sad and shameful episode that might well go down in history as the darkest day in Zimbabwean cricket,” Mukuhlani said in a statement.
“Streak was a powerful figure adored by many and held up as an idol for future generations of cricketers.
“But, as we and the rest of the world now know, Streak was also a corrupt, greedy and selfish character, who regrettably abused his status and position in pursuit of dirty benefits.”
Mukuhlani endorsed the punishment and said it would “help to reinforce the measures that the ICC and ZC have been taking to root out any wrongdoing in cricket.
“We will continue to work actively within our structures and with the ICC to combat criminality in all of its forms and to ensure that cricket remains clean locally and globally.”
Streak’s ban relates to incidents while he was coach of his country’s national team and an assistant coach in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other domestic competitions.
Streak communicated for more than a year with an Indian man who sought inside information for betting purposes, a disciplinary decision released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday noted.
The man, identified only as ‘Mr X’, rewarded Streak with gifts like two Bitcoins, which Streak sold for $35 000, and a new iPhone for his wife.
The 47-year-old admitted to five charges, the ICC said.
He disclosed inside information that might have been used for betting, failed to disclose gifts he received, facilitated the introduction of Mr X to players, failed to report the approaches to the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, and obstructed an investigation into his conduct.
Streak, a former fast bowler, is one of Zimbabwe’s greatest players and the first from his country to take 100 Test wickets. He played 65 Tests and also had successful spells in England with Hampshire and Warwickshire.
Streak was coach of his country on two occasions, from 2009 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2018, and coached Bangladesh from 2014 to 16.
He also worked as bowling coach for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 IPL and for Kabul Zwanan in the 2018 Afghanistan Premier League.
The offences related to games in 2017 and 2018, the ICC said, and included the 2017 Bangladesh Premier League, a tri-series involving Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2018, a Zimbabwe-Afghanistan series in 2018, the 2018 IPL and the 2018 Afghanistan Premier League.
The ICC insisted that Streak’s actions ultimately “did not affect the outcomes of any relevant matches.”
“As a former captain and coach, he held a position of trust and owed a duty to uphold the integrity of the game,” said Alex Marshall, the general manager of the ICC’s Integrity Unit.
“He breached the code on several occasions, including facilitating the approach of four other players. At times, he also sought to obstruct and delay our investigation.”
Streak began communicating with Mr X via WhatsApp in late 2017. Over the course of 15 months, Mr X asked Streak “to provide him with various information, in relation to tournaments and matches he was involved with,” the ICC said.
Streak also provided Mr X with the contact details of numerous players, including one who was a national team captain, when he knew or should have known that the businessman would approach them for inside information, the ICC said.
The players were not named but, in the correspondence, Mr X told Streak they could “make good money”.
Streak also colluded with Mr X to try to cover up his actions after he was informed by the ICC that he was under investigation and would be interviewed.
Streak admitted to the charges last month and waived his right to a hearing. (Cricket.com.au)
