Arasu believes that cricketers can be good professionals in the corporate world. “I strongly believe cricketers can evolve into highly effective professionals beyond the traditional path of coaching. Cricket builds far more than just sporting ability. It cultivates discipline, mental toughness, strategic thinking, and the ability to perform under pressure. These are not just athletic traits, they are core professional competencies. The sport also instills a deep sense of teamwork and accountability. A cricketer understands roles, trusts the team, and works toward a common objective exactly what is required in managing large retail teams and driving business outcomes. Moreover, cricket teaches adaptability. So, rather than limiting themselves to coaching, cricketers can bring immense value across leadership, operations, sales, and strategy roles — because the mindset they develop on the field is highly transferable to the business world,” he explained.
“It can be challenging for sportspersons to secure good professional roles but the difficulty is not because they lack capability. It is usually because their skills aren’t always translated into the language the corporate world understands. Many cricketers possess strong qualities like discipline, teamwork, resilience, and decision-making under pressure. However, employers often look for structured experience, qualifications, and role specific exposure. The gap, therefore, is more about positioning and readiness than potential. To succeed in other professional spheres, cricketers need to consciously prepare for the transition. This includes building relevant qualifications or certifications, developing communication and business skills, and gaining basic exposure to corporate functions such as operations, sales, or management,” he signed off.