Cricketers Then vs Now: World Cup heroes to 9-to-5 Jobs
Pat Cummins, George Bailey, Xavier Doherty and Shane Watson (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 28 Jun 2026, 04:58 PM• Read time - 3 mins
Representing your country at the highest level is a dream harboured by millions who pick up a bat or ball. Only a fortunate few turn that dream into reality and share the field with the greatest. The list narrows even further when we look at those who not only played for their nation but also lifted a World Cup.
Yet success on the field can be fleeting. Once the dust settles, many cricketers move into coaching or broadcasting. For others, fate takes them far away from the 22 yards they once called home. Here are three World Cup winners who transitioned into regular jobs after their playing days ended.
#1 Joginder Sharma
Joginder Sharma will forever be remembered for dismissing Misbah‑ul‑Haq in the tense final of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 on September 24, 2007, at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, the moment that crowned India as champions.
He played four ODIs, scoring 35 runs at an average of 35.00, with a best of 29*. In eight internationals, he claimed five wickets, while his domestic record was far more substantial: 2,804 runs and 297 wickets in first‑class cricket, including 20 five‑wicket hauls. Joginder also featured in 16 IPL matches for Chennai Super Kings, taking 12 wickets.
After cricket, his life took a different turn. Joginder joined the Haryana Police as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), continuing to serve the nation in a new role.
#2 Nathan Bracken
Nathan Bracken was instantly recognisable: long hair flowing, metal hairband in place, high‑fiving Adam Gilchrist after every dismissal. A stylish left‑arm seamer, he was part of Australia’s 2003 and 2007 World Cup‑winning squads.
Bracken’s strongest format was ODIs, where he claimed 174 wickets in 116 matches at an average of 24.36 and an economy of 4.41. He was pivotal in the 2007 campaign, taking 16 wickets in 10 games at an average of 16.12. In 2008, he rose to No. 1 in the ICC ODI bowling rankings.
A chronic knee injury forced him to retire in January 2011. Post‑cricket, Bracken moved into business, serving as Business Development Manager for Spray Seal at Fulton Hogan, an infrastructure and roadworks company. He also contested the New South Wales state election in 2023 as a Liberal candidate and holds a Bachelor of Communications in Marketing and Digital Media from Charles Sturt University.
#3 Xavier Doherty
Xavier Doherty, part of Australia’s 2015 World Cup‑winning squad, was a slow left‑arm orthodox spinner who played four Tests, 60 ODIs, and 11 T20Is, claiming 72 international wickets. He also featured in the Big Bash League for Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes, taking 30 wickets in 34 matches.
After cricket, Doherty transitioned into carpentry with support from the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA). In a 2021 ACA video uploaded on YouTube, he shared:
“Right now, I am three quarters of the way through a carpentry apprenticeship. This is my day on building sites and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Just being outdoors working with my hands, learning new things. Something completely different to cricket.”
He added: “When I finished cricket, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do. Then I spent the first 12 months once cricket finished doing everything and every opportunity that came my way. I did some landscaping, office work, cricket work and then found myself here.”
On ACA’s role, Doherty said: “The ACA has been unbelievable really. Obviously, it hits you right between the eyes when your cricket days finish and thoughts going through your head of what’s coming next, and money and what’s my life gonna look like? So obviously, having Player Development Managers there to guide you through that. And then having education grants as well to help me out financially and cover some of the costs that come with the next phase of my life and covering some of the fees that go with doing an apprenticeship.”
Joginder Sharma, Nathan Bracken, and Xavier Doherty remind us that while cricket glory is fleeting, life after the game can be just as meaningful. Their journeys show the courage to embrace new paths once the stadium lights fade.
