5 cricketers who worked completely different jobs before playing international cricket ft. Shamar Joseph
Several youngsters in India dreams of becoming a cricketer one day. With the growth of T20 leagues, more and more players want to make a future in this sport. The income of cricket players has increased considerably in recent years, which could be why parents of young children are also encouraging this as a new career option.
However, not everyone's journey to the cricket field is smooth. Some have to work other jobs to make ends meet and find time to work on their game as well. Many cricket fans would know that 2011 World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni worked as a ticket collector before becoming a global sports icon.
Similarly, here's a list of five other international cricketers who worked completely different jobs before starting their career in this sport.
#1 West Indies' newest Test cricketer Shamar Joseph worked as a bodyguard
West Indies handed Shamar Joseph his maiden Test cap earlier today against Australia. The fast bowler impressed straightaway by picking up the wickets of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne on the first day of his Test career.
Joseph comes from a small village of Guyana named Baracara. He did not have access to telephone or internet growing up, and he even had to work as a bodyguard to earn money for his big family.
After realizing that he had genuine pace as a fast bowler in cricket, Joseph quit his job of bodyguard and shifted his focus to the sport completely. Now, he is an international Test player for West Indies.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin worked in a software company before becoming an all-time great
Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the greatest Test players of all time. He has been India's biggest match-winner in Tests over the last decade. Besides, he has also captained Punjab Kings team in theIndian Premier League.
Apart from cricket, Ashwin also has expertise in IT engineering. He has a B. Tech degree to his name, and he even worked in a software company before his cricketing career took off.
#3 Varun Chakravarthy was an architect before becoming a mystery spinner
Varun Chakravarthy has been Kolkata Knight Riders' lead Indian bowler in recent IPL seasons. He also turned up for India in ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Before impressing the world with his craft of spin bowling, Varun earned a B.Arch degree from SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
The KKR star worked as an architect for two years at D+Y Architects. His employers helped him achieve his dream of becoming a cricketer by allowing him half days or even off days when he had a match.
#4 Saurabh Netravalkar works at Oracle and is an international cricketer for USA
Former India U-19 player Saurabh Netravalkar settled in the United States a few years ago. He has also represented and captained USA team in international cricket. The left-arm pace-bowling all-rounder may even turn up for USA in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
While Netravalkar's all-round skills are top-notch, he also works for Oracle. He holds a position as a Principal Member of Technical Staff at the computer software company.
#5 Nathan Ellis worked many odd jobs before becoming a star cricketer
Nathan Ellis is a regular member of Australia's T20I team, and he has also played for Punjab Kings in the IPL. His wicket-taking abilities make him one of the best bowlers in the shorter formats of the sport. However, his journey to the top has not been easy.
He worked different jobs like high school teacher's assistant, door-to-door salesman, physical laborer and furniture remover at the construction site to make ends meet. In 2019, a phone call from Adam Griffith, the then Tasmania coach, changed his life as he gave him a chance to play professional cricket.