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Bukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
FORMER Chevrons captain and batting coach Heath Streak says Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has to embark on an intensive player retention programme if they dream of recreating its “golden age” status it possessed before the player exodus a decade ago.

Streak’s bowling and batting prowess led Zimbabwe to their first super six stage appearance at the 1999 World Cup after posting impressive wins over powerhouses India, Sri Lanka and neighbours South Africa.

He captained the Chevrons in 21 tests and 68 ODIs and was instrumental in the team that put Zimbabwe on cricketing map in the late 1990s and early 2000s before retiring in 2005.

Streak’s love for cricket saw him taking up the ZC batting coach job in 2009, a position he held until 2014 when he left to join Bangladesh in the same portfolio.

In an interview with firstpost, Streak, who recently joined Indian Premier League side Gujarat Lions as a bowling coach, said ZC had to find a way to lure back former players who are still active and fuse their knowledge with the current crop to form an effective side.

“What they (Zimbabwe Cricket) need to do is the retention of players. You can’t keep losing players like Jarvis, Brendan Taylor, Taibu, Ballance, these sort of guys should be in the current set up. If you add that handful of guys into the current group, it makes a massive difference. No international team would look at that side with those names in it and say that they’re going to just easily beat them,” said Streak

“Zimbabwe is still able to be competitive but they haven’t had a great last year, they lost a couple of series against Afghanistan, their performances have been down. Definitely if they had some of these players alongside the quality players they have in Chigumbura, Ervine, Williams, Masakadza, Cremer, along with the ones I mentioned before, they would have a serious team that would be upsetting some of the big nations regularly,” he added.

However, Streak said making a return to the Chevron’s coaching ranks was far from his imaginations at the moment.

“At the moment my career is involved with Bangladesh and I’m enjoying that. Yes, maybe something in the future but for now I’m really enjoying doing the work I’m doing in Bangladesh and looking forward to my challenge in IPL so I’m not looking too far ahead,” said Streak.