Heath Streak, Zimbabwean cricketer who clashed with Mugabe and moved to England and India

Heath Streak, who has died of cancer aged 49, was one of the best cricketers in Zimbabwe during the 1990s and early 2000s, and was captain of the national side from 2000 to 2004. Much of his time in that role was punctuated by fractious disputes with the dictatorial government of Robert Mugabe, and he was effectively sacked by Mugabe after four years in post.

In England afterwards, Streak had four seasons with Warwickshire and then spent the rest of his career playing Twenty20 cricket in the renegade Indian Cricket League. A number of years later, after having moved into coaching, he admitted to various offences linked to suspect betting activities. As a result the International Cricket Council banned him for eight years, a sanction that was still in place at his death.

Heath Hilton Streak was born on March 16 1974 in Bulawayo to Denis Streak and his wife, Karen, who were farmers. His father was an excellent cricketer who played for Rhodesia. At Falcon College, a private boarding school with its own game park, young Heath also showed cricketing prowess, developing into a fine all-rounder with his right-arm fast-medium bowling, aggressive batting and superb fielding.

He made his first-class debut for Zimbabwe B against a touring Kent side in 1993, and by the end of the year, aged 19, was opening the bowling for the Test team on tour in Pakistan.

Zimbabwe had only been granted Test status the year before, and despite his age Streak proved to be one of the best cricketers in a weak, inexperienced side, taking match figures of 8-114 in the second Test in Rawalpindi. Able to deliver long spells due to his great fitness and stamina, his quick outswingers, delivered with an open-chested action, made an instant impact, while his all-action batting impressed lower down the order.

By 2000, when he was appointed captain at the age of 26, Streak was a seasoned campaigner who had already taken 129 wickets in 31 Tests across 16 series. However, the captaincy proved to be a trying business from the off.

Mugabe and his cronies had little compunction about interfering with playing and administrative matters, including in team selection, where a quota system was enforced to ensure a greater presence of black players in what had previously been a white-dominated game.