In what appears to be a drastic turn of events, New Zealand’s cricketer all-rounder Chris Cairns is struggling to meet the daily expenses. He played 62 Test matches throughout his career and scored 3,320 runs. He is also one of only eight players to have reached the all-rounder’s double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs.
The player was banned from cricket for life by the ICC because of his involvement in the match fixing scandal. Since then he has been driving a truck to earn livelihood. The 44-year-old cricket icon, who was under investigation by British authorities for alleged match-fixing, has been busy cleaning bus shelters and driving trucks for a mere 17-dollar-an-hour wage.
According to the Mid-Day report, the former cricketer got a job with the Auckland council, where he drives a truck that goes around water-blasting bus shelters in the New Zealand capital.
Dion Nash, former New Zealand cricketer and one of Cairns’ best friends, revealed: “He (Cairns) is trying really hard and supporting his family the best way he can. He’s not moping around, he’s showing guts and doing hard work by cleaning bus shelters,” said Nash, adding that he stands by his friend on the fixing issue.
“All I can do is support him, but as a friend it is really hard to watch his name being dragged through the mud with no conclusion in sight. He’s a champion guy and he will come through this stronger,” Nash told the New Zealand Herald.
Cairns’ wife Mel Crosser also spoke about their ordeal to a women’s magazine. “He has no choice, he has to provide for his family. We have bills to pay like everyone else. We don’t own a house, we’re paying rent and getting by is a struggle.”
Cairns is married to Melanie Croser, an Australian who works for the sports marketing group Octagon in Sydney. He played 215 ODIs and bagged 201 wickets with an average over 32. There was a time when millions of fans wanted his autograph, and today he is struggling for food.
