BEYOND THE C-CUP

The 32-year-old isn’t the only cricketer straddling two careers. On the field,Australian player Adam Gilchrist is the coach and captain of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and one of the best wicket-keepers for his side. But not all of his fans in India know that Gilchrist is also the director of a Perth-based sandalwood supplier called Tropical Forestry Services (TFS) Corporation. The company operates sandalwood plantations spread over 5,000 hectares in Western Australia and exports sandalwood oil to the European fragrance market. Having been associated with the company since its origin,initially as a seed investor to becoming a shareholder for 10 years,Gilchrist feels it’s important for cricketers to have interests off the field as well. “It’s good to have a Plan B. Though for most of us,cricket is first love,it makes business sense to pursue other interests as well,” admits the KXIP captain,looking to forge business ties with India in the future. Using the same man-management skills he uses as captain,’Gilly’ has in the past stepped into the role of an ambassador in India. Associated with the Australian University of Wollongong,the cricketer toured Indian cities last year to encourage students to apply. It’s not just international cricketers who seem to work multi-tasking in their favour.

Brand endorsements apart,most cricketers are looking to extend innings with business interests. India’s favourite fast bowler Zaheer Khan,who plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL,is an investor in the newly launched lifestyle brand Sher Singh,promoted by global online retailer Exclusively.in. The contemporary range of apparel for men and women has a special ‘cricketing line’ with Khan as its ambassador. “Apart from being the face of the brand,Zaheer Khan has invested in the company and is closely associated with the design and functioning of the label,” admits Exclusively.in’s CEO Sanjay Guleria. Like his contemporary,S Sreesanth,who is currently in the Rajasthan Royals camp ,likes to dedicate time off the field to look into the workings of his band S-36,being its manager. “My role in the band is something I am serious about. It’s all about team effort,but I generally compose the lyrics and play the drums. I also play a host to the band,” says Sreesanth. Though,he admits,taking out time can be an issue,it’s worth it. “For me,it’s a stress buster,” says Sreesanth who is looking to cut an album soon. But not all cricketers who have explored business off the field have met with the same success. A few years back,spinner Harbhajan Singh opened a hair salon Sylvie’s in Chandigarh in a partnership deal. Dogged with controversies and the fact that both owners were seldom seen involved in the workings,the salon had a small innings.