The bold and brassy cricketers who sought further fame on the gogglebox, by Will Jennings
During his playing career the enterprising left-hander virtually reinvented batting in one-day cricket. England usually seemed on the receiving end of it, perhaps never more than when his 99-ball 152 at Headingley formed part of a one-day whitewash by the Sri Lankan tourists in 2006. After dabbling in Sri Lankan politics and cricket administration, Jayasuriya took to the dance floor in an equally entertaining manner six years later on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, the Indian equivalent to BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Executing a salsa in tandem with his female partner, Jayasuriya cemented a reputation as one of the show’s most popular contestants, warming to the frequently stringent judges and even inviting one of them to the floor to perform a series of steps alongside him.
The former Australia opener’s culinary skills proved more pleasing than his stance at the crease, reaching the semi-final of Australia’s Celebrity Masterchef in 2009. But similar to the Ashes series in 2010/11 – when England’s bowlers ruthlessly terminated his spell in the side – it was the festive period that proved Katich’s downfall. Katich failed to impress the judges with an unpalatable rendition of Christmas dinner.
After a career in which the Middlesex and Surrey legend was unable to transform prolific run-scoring in county cricket on to the international stage, the hunk from Harrow discovered a second wind on the dancefloor. However, some cynics couldn’t help point out that the average score Rampraskash received from judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Arlene Phillips and Craig Revel Horwood (33.5) was more than six points higher than his final Test batting average (27.32). His samba in the final – where he received a remarkable 40 points – was his finest hour on the floor.
And then there’s Freddie. When not spotted bowling fierce spells to Ricky Ponting in 2005 and Jacques Kallis in 2008, the legendary allrounder’s off-field exploits certainly spanned more than just roaming around on a pedalo in the Caribbean. In 2015, he appeared in the inaugural series of Australia’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, being crowned victorious after enduring a gruelling 29 days in the jungle. Despite tormenting the Aussies in 2005 and spectacularly ending that ominous 117-run partnership between Ponting and Mike Hussey at The Oval in 2009, Flintoff’s popularity with the Aussie public persisted, with them flocking to their phones to provide him – unlike the whitewash he presided over in 2006/07 – with enough support for a rare English victory down under.
The great leg-spinner’s spell in the second series of Australia’s I’m a Celebrity was controversial. During the 41 days he survived in the jungle, Warne cast doubt on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, claiming “I’m saying we started from aliens”; branded his former Australian captain Steve Waugh as “selfish”, although the pair had never seen eye to eye; and was bitten on the head by an anaconda during a notoriously gruesome bushtucker trial. All this generated a stir down under, manifesting in Warne’s eventual departure in eighth place. Following his eventful period on the show, Warne departed with the closing line of “See you, suckers!”
Who could forget the Ashes-winning captain’s eight-week spell on Strictly in 2012? Coupled with professional dancer Natalie Lowe, Vaughan’s appearance on BBC One primetime failed to achieve the success of former team-mates Darren Gough and Mark Ramprakash, or rival sportsman Louis Smith, who was eventually crowned that year’s winner. Vaughan’s legacy would be characterised by his on-field activity rather than his dancing, with England’s former No.3’s attempts at the jive and samba failing to eclipse his epochal triumph of 2005.
Controversy initially surrounded Dazzler’s entry into the 2005 series of Strictly. Gough’s absence from England’s 2005/06 tour of Pakistan was originally explained by his wishing to spend further time with his family. But it later emerged that he had signed a deal to be the first cricketer to test his feet in front of the judges. Gough put the story behind him to win the third series of the show with impressive scores for the foxtrot and Paso Doble. Flintoff later remarked how strange it was to see the great fast bowler from Barnsley so light on his feet, unlike his abrasive, heavy run-up and hurling side-on action.
Yorkshire’s headbanded spearhead is unique on this list in that he wasn’t billed as a celebrity when he appeared on Celebrity Dinner Date in February. Instead Brooks was one of three contestants looking to win a second date with Coronation Street actress Rhea Bailey by impressing her with his culinary skills. His cricket-inspired menu included dishes billed as ‘This will bowl you ‘over’ chicken satay’ and ‘Can I ‘wicket’? Yes you can! Chocolate chip cookies’. It certainly did the trick as Brooks beat his rivals to the second date. However, it wasn’t quite a fairytale ending as that was as far as Brooks and Bailey’s relationship went.
The prolific Indian off-spinner once inflicted a king pair on Adam Gilchrist in the unforgettable Eden Gardens Test of 2000/01. Harbhajan later took his turn to achieve a similar fate, as he and his dance partner – television actress Mona Singh – achieved their joint crown in Indian dance show Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena. Bhaji’s movement around the floor almost rivalled the revolutions he placed on a cricket ball, and his performance of the theme song to the 2007 Bollywood film Jab We Met clinched his glory.
Perhaps the best example of a cricketer enhancing his status post-career. Giddins had already shown himself to be a little different than the average cricketer – he was banned for using cocaine while at Sussex in 1996, spent the 1998/99 winter selling Christmas trees with Surrey team-mate Nadeem Shahid, and also modelled and worked as a waiter. Oh, and he played four Test matches. After turning to professional poker in 2004, by June 2015 he had amassed earnings of more than £67,000. Giddins also appeared on the short-lived reality show, Arrange Me a Marriage in 2007.
Tuffers is a firm fixture on British TV screens. Aside from serving as a team captain on BBC’s A Question of Sport opposite Matt Dawson and forming a popular double-act with Henry Blofeld on Test Match Special, the once-intemperate left-arm spinner has flourished in several other avenues, playing up his cheekie-chappie persona. Tufnell’s dancing exploits on Strictly in 2009 – he was eliminated in the ninth week – narrowly failed to match his success in the jungle six years earlier, in which he nonchalantly completed the Bushtucker Bonanza trial in the final. Tufnell has also appeared on ITV gameshows Hole in the Wall and The Chase, and been a roving reporter for BBC’s The One Show.
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