The game of cricket often creates unlikely artists. For some cricketers, retiring from the game is not an end but it’s a start at a new stage, often with music at the center. A few cricketers have gone on to real music careers, releasing albums, performing at festivals and appearing on big TV shows.
Omari Banks, Shakti Singh, Henry Olonga, Harrdy Sandhu, Mark Butcher and others have all swapped bats and balls for guitars and microphones.
Let’s read about them in a little detail:
1. Shakti Singh (India):
Shakti Singh, who played domestic cricket in India for Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, reinvented himself as a Bollywood playback singer. Teaming up with composers like Jatin–Lalit, he sang in films such as Patiala House, Life Partner and Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge. His career shows that for cricketers, retirement can mean reinvention, not closure.
2. Omari Banks (West Indies):
Omari Banks, the former West Indies all-rounder from Anguilla, smoothly switched to reggae after cricket. His 2013 debut album Move On proved he was serious, not just experimenting. Since then, he has performed across the Caribbean and beyond, at festivals like Moonsplash and the St. Kitts Music Festival, where his Hendrix-style guitar work and island-inspired songs stand out.
3. Henry Olonga (Zimbabwe):
Zimbabwe’s Henry Olonga found his stage on television. Years after leaving cricket, he appeared on The Voice Australia in 2019, stunning viewers with his powerful performance of “This Is the Moment”. It showed a completely different side of him, expressive and theatrical rather than fast and fiery.
4. Harrdy Sandhu (India):
Harrdy Sandhu, before becoming a Punjabi pop star, was a fast bowler at U-19 and first-class level. An elbow injury ended his cricket dreams but he trained for music. Starting in 2011, he went on to release hits like “Soch” and “Naah”, becoming one of the biggest names in Punjabi music and Bollywood soundtracks. His story is one of resilience turned into stardom.
5. Mark Butcher (Engalnd):
Mark Butcher, the former England batsman, carried his sense of timing from the crease into blues music. His albums, including Songs from the Sun House, earned praise and he even wrote moving originals like “You’re Never Gone” in tribute to teammate Ben Hollioake. His sound is soulful, reflective and shaped by years of reading swings on the field.
6. AB de Villiers (South Africa):
Others have dipped into music too. AB de Villiers, after retiring in 2018, had already recorded an album with Ampie du Preez in 2010 and later released songs like “The Flame”. His singing style was simple and precise which mirrors his batting.
7. Brett Lee (Australia):
Brett Lee also pursued his love for pop, famously singing “You’re the One for Me” with Asha Bhosle and playing regularly with the cricketers’ band Six & Out. His performances in India and beyond showed he never lost touch with his guitar.
From reggae festivals in the Caribbean to TV shows in Australia and Bollywood studios in Mumbai, these cricketers-turned-musicians share one thing in common – the discipline of sport mixed with the openness of art. Some, like Omari Banks and Mark Butcher, built steady music careers, while others, like Henry Olonga and Harrdy Sandhu, grabbed the spotlight quickly.
