Cricketers who turned from rich to poor: Indian Legend Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to own a Ferrari; MS Dhoni has a rare collection of expensive superbikes, Virat Kohli is one of the highest paid athletes in the world and Chris Gayle is an owner of a mansion which is not less than a five – star hotel.
Yes, cricketers nowadays are turning out to be quite rich courtesy the franchises like IPL, PSL, and BigBash etc. There is a lot of Business and Marketing associated with the game now which has made the sport global and hence a lot of money is involved. It is now a guarantee that once you have played International Cricket, there is a strong case that you would have a sound financial future.
But when we talk about a few years ago, just retiring from international cricket did not mean that one could survive with the earnings made during the career. There have been some instances where some players have hit poverty due to their bad habits like match-fixing etc. Players have misused their wealth and also turned bankrupt due to different reasons.
Here is a list of cricketers who turned from rich to poor:
Anshuman Gaekwad
The former Indian cricketer and head coach Anshuman Gaekwad served the country in various roles after retiring as a player. Notably, Gaekwad represented Team India in 15 ODIs and 40 Tests, respectively. Besides, he also served a national selector. It is worth mentioning that he was also the part of the 1983 World Cup winning team.
So having served in various roles, the life seemed decent for the former cricketer considering the regular job he did even after retiring. However, things took a wild turn as time wentby and at one point he struggled financially to pay for his treatment. Gaekwad was suffering from Blood cancer and he was undergoing treatment from a long time in London. But after seeing his struggles, even his former teammates like Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil requested the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to help the cricketer. The Indian board duly obliged and released Rs one crore in a bid to assist his medical treatments. But unfortunately, on July 31, 2024.
Vinod Kambli
Once tipped as the next Sachin Tendulkar, the former dashing left-hand batter Vinod Kambli made a promising start to his international cricket career. However, with time slipping like sand, his career which was sky rocketing suddenly slumped to the extent that he lost his place in the Indian team. As a result, with time he completely perished from the international arena.
Today, after a recent video where Kambli was seen struggling with health issues, the matter of former cricketers not able to make their ends meet in daily life has taken the centrestage once again. As of now, Vinod Kambli’s story has been of a riches to rags scenario as he remains dependent on BCCI’s monthly pension which is tipped to be around Rs 30,000 monthly. Given that he hails from the city of Mumbai, with inflation and the cost of living being expensive in the metropolitan, life seems to be hard for once a star of the Indian cricket.
Arshad Khan
The tall off-spin bowler from Pakistan, Arshad Khan made his debut in the 1997-98 series against the Windies. He played nine Tests and 58 ODIs till 2006 for his country. He has also played for Lahore Badshahs in the Indian Cricket League. Arshad’s best bowling performance came against the arch-rivals India in 2005, when he got 4 wickets for 33 runs at Kochi.
According to Khaleej Times, Arshad Khan now resides in Sydney, Australia and drives Uber Taxi over there. This shows the pitiable conditions of the former retired cricketers especially in a troubled country like Pakistan. After playing for his country, one would’ve expected him to be wealthier financially, but the former cricketer is struggling hard in a foreign country to make for his living.
Adam Hollioake
The Australia born England Cricketer was once considered as a great all-rounder for the English cricket team. He was also appointed as the England Skipper in ODIs for a short duration. He is the elder brother of Ben Hollioake who died in 2002 in a car accident. Adam last played representative cricket in 2007 and went on to pursue his family business in Australia. In late 2008 during the recession, the financial position of his company weakened and by 2011 he was declared as bankrupt.
After that, Hollioake turned into Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to earn his bread and is doing a decent job over there. He is known for his mental toughness. This is an example where destiny can take you from one place to another. From being a successful cricketer to a bankrupt and then bouncing back to be a pro in MMA, Adam has suffered a lot and is an inspiration for others.
Matthew Sinclair
Matthew Sinclair is most remembered for scoring a double ton in his debut Test for New Zealand which is an incredible feat to achieve. He moved to New Zealand from Australia with his mother after losing his father at the age of 4. He retired from international cricket in 2013 and was jobless for some time. The Financial woes hit his married life as well.
The fact that he did not complete his studies made matters worse. He is currently working as a real estate salesperson in Napier and is struggling to survive. He was once a darling of the Kiwi team when he scored a magnificent double hundred in his Test debut. He opened the innings in both ODI and Test and had moderate success. This instance definitely tells us that nothing is permanent. We need to have back up plans for our respective careers.
