Why is Australian cricket legend Greg Chappell in a financial mess?

Former Indian Head Coach and Australian cricket legend, Greg Chappell, is going through a financial crunch in his life. According to a report, Chappell’s friends have intervened to help him by raising an online fundraising platform. However, the 75-year-old former cricketer has said that though he is not in dire straits, he is also not living a life of luxury.

What

• Chappell known for his brash attitude said that, “I’m not on my bones a**s,” but also admitted that he is not living a luxurious life as a result of his cricketing career.
• “I certainly don’t want to sound like we are in desperate straits, because we’re not–but we are not living in luxury either.
• I think most people assume that, because we played cricket, we are all living a life of luxury. While I’m certainly not crying poor, we’re certainly not reaping the benefits that today’s players are," Chappell said.
• He said that his friends came for his support so that he can spend his retirement with ease.
• As per the report, Chappell reluctantly had agreed to a GoFundMe page, set up for him, along with a testimonial lunch held at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) last week. It was hosted by Eddie McGuire and attended by other cricket greats, including brothers Ian and Trevor.

Why

• For Chappell, the losses he incurred in his business ventures cost him badly. While speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Chappell confessed that his business investments didn’t turn out to be fruitful and it is majorly because of those losses that he has suffered financially.
• “Unfortunately, I had a business setback a few years ago. I don’t need to go into the details of it, but the opportunity cost went with that situation, the years of sorting out finances just didn’t mean that not only did I not have much coming in, but there was nothing to invest," Chappell said.
• Also, Greg Chappell along with Dennis Lillee and wicketkeeper Rod Marsh are the cricketers from the 1970s era.
• It was only the next generation of cricketers like Steve Waugh and Shane Warne who had managers, who were investing in other businesses while these cricketers played cricket.

  

• Moreover, these cricketers earned much greater packages as compared to Greg Chappell and cricketers of his era.
• “Because they played a slightly more professional era they had managers and people looking into their affairs,” Chappell told The Sydney Morning Herald.
• And Chappell isn’t the only one. There are a bunch of former cricketers who are struggling financially, but are reluctant to come out with their condition, Chappell admitted this saying, even he wanted to keep it quiet about it but then his businessmen friends Peter Maloney former Essendon President David Evans wanted to help him.

Controversial Chappell

• Greg Chappell might have been a good cricketer, but his temperament often resulted in his conflicts with teams and management.
• He is the most controversial Indian Head Coach (2005-2007) as he feuds with several great players like Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag are well known.

  

   

•  His spat with Ganguly resulted in the former skipper being dropped out of the squad. A year later, Chappell was asked to leave as several players had raised concerns over his teaching methods.

• Chappell was also a selector of the Australian team in 2010. However, within a year, Chappell along with selector Andrew Hilditch and Tim Nielsen was sacked in 2011.

The 75-year-old former Australian captain has played 87 Tests and led the Australian team in 48 matches. He retired from Test cricket in January 1984, as the highest run-getter (7110).