Former Pakistan cricketer Arshad Khan driving Uber cab in Sydney

NEW DELHI: How would you picture the life of a former international cricketer? Probably nurturing the upcoming generation of cricketers, commentating, working for a cricket board, running his own cricket academy, dealing with the nitty-gritties of his business or simply sunbathing in a faraway island while enjoying the life of a retired professional.

The life of retired Pakistan offspinner Arshad Khan is a far cry from all this.

On Monday, a post on social networking website Facebook claimed that the former cricketer is driving Uber Taxi in Sydney.

“He was the driver of our cab and we started chatting, he told me that he is from Pakistan and lives in Sydney. Also that he has been to Hyderabad many times when he was playing for Lahore Badshahs something in ICL. After which I asked him his full name and then I was shocked to see his face which I could partially recognise. I shook has his hand and left,” Ganesh Birle posted on his Facebook account on Monday.

“He was avoiding the conversation all the time, but at the same time he couldn’t help but talk about his India connection. Imagine he introduced himself as ‘I from Pakistan [sic] but I have been here in Sydney for long time now’. Also like a good Uber driver he offered us water and stuff when we sat in the car,” he wrote.

Arshad made his debut for Pakistan in 1997-98 against West Indies and went on to play nine Tests and 58 ODIs. During his international career that effectively ended after he signed up for the rebel Indian Cricket League, he picked 32 Test and 56 ODI wickets. Both his last Test and ODI came against India at Bangalore and Rawalpindi respectively.