5 cricketers who took up unusual jobs after retirement

In the past, we have seen many cricketers take up off-beat professions after retirement. For example, English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff became a professional boxer after he retired from cricket.

But there are situations where cricketers have chosen professions not related to sports at all. Joginder Sharma, who bowled the historic last over in the final of the inaugural World T20 back in 2007, became a police officer in Haryana after his retirement. On the other hand Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya has served as a Member of Parliament for the Matara District in the Asian Island.

Here, we take a look at five players who chose unusual jobs after retiring from cricket.

#1. Arshad Khan (cab driver)

Arshad Khan in action during an ODI against India

Arshad Khan had a bit of a roller-coaster career. The Pakistani off-break bowler represented the Men in Green outfit in nine Tests, picking up 32 wickets. He was first picked for the West Indies tour back in 1997-98, and he also played the following year for the team which won the Asian Test Championship in Dhaka against Sri Lanka.

Until 2001, Arshad was a regular player in the Pakistani squad, but he was subsequently dropped after which he returned to domestic cricket.

He was again called back in 2005 for the one-day international series against England, where he bowled economically. But after that, he could not establish himself in the playing XI on a permanent basis.

After his retirement, Arshad relocated to Australia and became a cab driver.

#2. David Sheppard (bishop)

David Sheppard (left) being congratulated by veteran George Cox at Hove, after the announcement of his appointment as England's captain in the second test match against Pakistan.

David Sheppard played county Cricket for Sussex. He also played 22 Tests for England, scoring three centuries.

Sheppard had a great first-class career, playing 230 matches and scoring as many as 45 centuries. He was widely considered to be one of the great post-war batsmen in county cricket.

After his career came to an end, he became one of the most outspoken bishops of the Church of England. Sheppard died in 2005, after fighting a long battle with cancer.

#3. Chris Old (fish-and-chips shop owner)

Chris Old in action during a Test match for England

Chris Old was a regular figure in the English bowling attack from 1972 to the early 80s. He made his debut in Kolkata in December 1972, and his first wicket was of the great Sunil Gavaskar. He picked up six wickets in the match and scored 50 runs across both innings, but ended up on the losing side as India won by 28 runs.

After retirement, he ran a fish-and-chips restaurant with his wife Letita on Praa Sands, Cornwall.

Old's most prominent contribution to the England side was probably during the 1981 Ashes when he put up a 67-run partnership with Ian Botham for the 9th wicket and also took the crucial wicket of Alan Border for a duck.

He is the only cricketer who played in both the centenary matches against Australia – in 1977 at Melbourne and in 1980 at Lord’s.

#4. Chris Lewis (smuggler)

Chris Lewis in action for England in an ODI

Chris Lewis was an effective all-rounder for the Three Lions and was once termed the next Ian Botham. But his career did not yield the promised results.

He played 32 Tests for England and picked up 93 wickets including three five-wicket hauls. His only century came against India at Chennai in 1993 on his birthday. That innings brought him into the limelight but he was unable to reproduce such performances in the following years. Lewis played his last Test on 26th August 1996 against Pakistan.

Shockingly, Lewis was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment in 2009 for smuggling liquid cocaine. He reportedly tried to smuggle £140,000 worth of the banned drug into UK by hiding it in fruit juice tins in his cricket bags.

#5. Curtly Ambrose (bass guitarist)

The lethal duo of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh

Curtley Ambrose was an unstoppable force during the 1990s along with his country mate Courtney Walsh. Their partnership in the West Indian bowling ranks was simply outstanding; despite having a weak batting line-up, the duo of Ambrose-Walsh helped the team win many memorable matches.

Ambrose played 98 Tests and picked up 405 wickets at an average of 20.99. He also has 225 ODI scalps in 176 matches for the Windies. One of his spells, against England in 1994 where he picked up 6 wickets for 24 runs, was especially breathtaking – the Three Lions were so devastated by his bowling that they got all out for a mere 46 runs.

After retiring in 2000, Ambrose joined the “Dread and The Baldhead”, an Antiguan reggae band, as a bass guitarist.