6 Cricketers who retired early to pursue other interests

#4 George Thoms - Australia

George Thoms standing in this picture

George Thoms was a trained gynecologist. He was a right-hand batsman who only played one Test match for Australia. He quit his international stint prematurely, for fear of getting his hand injured which would have ended his career as a gynecological surgeon. Thoms scored 16 and 28 in his debut match against the West Indies in 1952.

He went on to become a surgeon in Australia and introduced the concept of laser surgery in the mid-1970s.

#3 Henry Olonga - Zimbabwe

Henry Olonga - Zimbabwe headshots

Henry Olonga was a right-arm fast bowler who played for Zimbabwe for seven years until he retired in 2004. He belonged to the group of fellow cricketers who wore a black armband in the 2003 World Cup to disapprove the "death of democracy" in their country. He shifted to England and played County cricket until a knee injury forced him to call it quits.

Olonga was also a singer hence pursued his career in music. He regularly features in media and entertainment channels promoting his work. Besides this, he regularly features on TV as a commentator. Vision Sports Publishing released his autobiography, Blood, Sweat and Treason, in July 2010.