He earned his maiden call up during the West Indies tour in 1997-98 and the following year played for the team that won the Asian Test Championship in Dhaka against Sri-Lanka. After announcing his retirement, he relocated to Australia and became a cab driver.Among some noteworthy transitions after retirement in cricket include English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff —from a cricketer to a pugilist post retirement. Sheppard featured in 22 Tests for England registering three tons. During the match, Old added 6 wickets and contributed with the bat too, scoring 50 runs in both innings. The sport plays such an imperative role in their lives that many of them cannot even fathom life without it. The Rohtak-born donned khaki clothes to join the Haryana police after retirement. However, England landed up on the losing side as India won by 28 runs.David Sheppard (Bishop in a church)David Sheppard (Photo: Cricket International)His name may almost seem similar to the great umpire David Shepherd, but this cricketer, who played for Sussex, took up an intriguing career after retirement —religion. And there are some who have given up sports and chose to serve society. Now he gives advice to the younger generation on how to avoid the pitfalls of the game.Chris Old (fish and chip shop owner)Chris Old (Photo: Screengrab)Right-arm fast medium bowler Chris Old was a known figure in the English bowling attack during the early 1970s till the 80s. He became an ordained minister and rose to become the Bishop of Liverpool. After retiring in 2000, he joined the ‘Dread and The Baldhead’, an Antiguan reggae band as a bass guitar player. He has an impeccable first-class career playing 230 matches and scoring as many as 45 centuries. Like Indian medium pacer Joginder Sharma, who bowled the historic last over in the summit clash of the inaugural World T20 in 2007. After retirement, Old was busy running a fish and chip shop restaurant with his wife Letita on Praa Sands, Cornwall. Lewis played 32 Tests for England and picked 93 wickets, which includes three 5-wicket hauls. His most notable contribution to the English side was during the 1981 Ashes when he along with Ian Botham put up a 67-run partnership for the ninth wicket and took the crucial wicket of Alan Bordan, who scored a duck. Sheppard died in 2005 after fighting a long battle with cancer.Here’s a look at 5 players who chose unusual jobs after hanging up their boots:Arshad Khan (cab driver)Arshad Khan (Photo: AFP)Pakistan cricketer Arshad Khan has represented his nation in 9 Tests with 32 scalps. However, he was unable to take advantage of his return and could not seal his place in the playing XI. He was dropped from the team in 2001 and returned to domestic cricket but made a comeback in 2005 in the ODI format.Mumbai: Taking a call on retirement has been one of the most painful decisions for any professional sportsmen, let alone cricketers. However, after retirement there have been cricketers who after pondering, decided to take up various other professions, some of them almost questioning their credibility.Chris Lewis (smuggler)Chris Lewis (Photo: AFP)All-rounder Chris Lewis was once termed as the next Ian Botham but his career did not take off. The innings caught his attention but he was unable to capitalise on the achievement and subsequently played his last Test on 26th August 1996 against Pakistan. His only century came against India in Chennai on his birthday in 1993.

Curtley Ambrose (bass guitarist)Curtly Ambrose (Photo: AFP)Antigua-born West Indies fast bowler was a terrorising force in the 1990s along with teammate Courtney Walsh.(This story originally appeared on Deccan Chronicle). However, after his career came to an end, Sheppard chose to lead the flock, not on the field but in church. Ambrose has 225 ODI wickets in 176 matches for the Windies. With a weak batting line-up the Caribbean boys relied heavily on the Ambrose-Walsh duo and they didn’t disappoint.But the day came. The Peshawar-born off-break bowler has often had a fluctuating career. He made his debut  China Wholesale aquarium fish tank against India in December 1972 and can boast of Sunil Gavaskar’s wicket as his first prized possession in Test cricket. Lewis gave the cricket fraternity a shocker when he was imprisoned for 13 years in 2009 after he was found guilty of smuggling liquid cocaine, worth more than £140,000 into Britain hidden in fruit juice tins hidden in his cricket bags