Five cricketers who took up odd jobs after playing career
Cricket history has had many players who have entered the commentary box or taken up jobs as experts in the media after their on-field playing career.
However, some choose to break the traditional mould and opt for fields that nobody could’ve associated with them while they were playing.
Due to variety of reasons, these are cricketers who ended up doing something very odd to sustain their livelihood after putting an end to their playing careers or realising that the doors to the national reckoning have been closed for them.
Today, it’s such players that we’ll focus on and highlight the most interesting of works that they did or are doing since their last match.
Five cricketers who took up odd jobs after playing career
1. Curtly Ambrose
A menacing quick throughout his playing career, West Indies great Curtly Ambrose turned into a bass guitarist for a while after his retirement in 2000. Ambrose’s illustrious career spanning over a decade saw him take 405 Test and 225 ODI wickets and build an excellent record across most conditions. But once he decided to quit playing, Ambrose embraced his other passion wholeheartedly and joined an Antiguan reggae band named “Dread and The Baldhead”.
2. Chris Cairns
New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns was one of the world’s best cricketers while he was around. Cairns, however, hit the rock bottom when he faced allegations of match-fixing on him following involvement in the now-disbanded Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2008.
Cairns faced another allegation on him when his former teammate Brendon McCullum accused him of making a corrupt approach. Shunned down by the wider cricket community, Cairns lost out financially as he went from one legal proceeding to the other. To be able to pay his legal bills, Cairns did multiple odd jobs, including cleaning bus shelters.
3. Arshad Khan
Former Pakistan off-spinner Arshad Khan had an interesting ride that saw him play 9 Tests, 58 ODIs for his country but also fall out of the radar and ultimately shift base to Australia where he became a cab driver.
From 1997-98 till 2001, Arshad was a regular feature of the Pakistan bowling attack. However, he was soon dropped from the team and left to try and find his way back through domestic cricket.
And though he did make a comeback in 2005 for a series against England, Arshad couldn’t really cement his place in the side and opted to drive cabs Down Under for his survival after retirement.
4. Chris Harris
One of New Zealand’s many utility cricketers during the 90s and early 2000s, Chris Harris, featured in 23 Tests and 250 ODIs at the highest level. Harris couldn’t really progress as a Test cricketer but was a pivotal figure in the Kiwi white-ball set-up. Harris struck over 4,000 runs and also bagged over 200 wickets in his ODI career.
After his playing career got over, Harris briefly embraced the field of coaching but then went on the path of becoming a medical representative, who sold equipments to orthopaedic neurosurgeons. From focusing on tactics and techniques on the field, Harris spent time in the operation theatres, helping doctors in their fight to revive patients’ life.
5. Xavier Doherty
One of many spinners that Australia trialled in the post Shane Warne era, left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty played 4 Tests, 60 ODIs and 11 T20Is in a career spanning five years. Doherty’s limited-overs tenure saw him play the 2015 World Cup and contribute towards Aussies reclaiming the ultimate glory.
However, more than four years after bidding adieu to the game, Doherty has interestingly become a carpenter to make ends meet. Doherty’s new profession came to the light through a video shared by the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA). Doherty was seen working at a building site in the video and thanked ACA for their support in after-cricket life.