From boxing to politics, former cricketers have chosen diverse paths after retirement. Andrew Flintoff turned professional boxer, Joginder Sharma became a police officer, and Sanath Jayasuriya served as a Member of Parliament.
Here are five cricketers who pursued unconventional careers after their playing days.
#1 Chris Lewis (Smuggler)
Former England all-rounder Chris Lewis played 32 Tests and picked up 93 wickets, scoring one century against India in 1993. However, he needed to maintain his form and consistency. Shockingly, in 2009, he was sentenced to 13 years for smuggling liquid cocaine worth £140,000 into the UK.
#2 Curtly Ambrose (Bass Guitarist)
Curtley Ambrose formed an excellent bowling partnership with Courtney Walsh for the West Indies in the 1990s. He played 98 Tests and 176 ODIs, taking 405 and 225 wickets, respectively. One of his best spells was against England in 1994, where he took six wickets for 24 runs. After retiring in 2000, he joined the Antiguan reggae band “Dread and The Baldhead” as a bass guitarist.
#3 Arshad Khan (Cab Driver)
Arshad Khan, a former Pakistani off-break bowler, represented his country in nine Tests and was initially selected for the West Indies tour in 1997-98. Despite a recall in 2005, he failed to cement his place in the playing XI and retired from cricket. He later moved to Australia and started working as a cab driver.
#4 David Sheppard (Bishop)
David Sheppard played county cricket for Sussex and represented England in 22 Tests, scoring three centuries. He was regarded as one of the best post-war batters in county cricket, with 45 centuries in his 230 first-class matches. After retiring, he became a vocal bishop of the Church of England and died in 2005 following a battle with cancer.
#5 Chris Old (Fish and Chips shop owner)
Chris Old was a bowler for England from 1972 to the early 80s, and his debut saw him take the wicket of Sunil Gavaskar. Old played a vital role in the 1981 Ashes, with a 67-run partnership with Ian Botham and taking the door of Alan Border. He also played in both centenary matches against Australia. After Retirement, he ran a fish-and-chips restaurant in Cornwall
