
Michael Clarke 2025: Life After Cricket, Net Worth & Family
When you’ve captained Australia to a Cricket World Cup victory and scored 28 Test centuries, the question of what to do next isn’t a small one. For Michael Clarke, the answer has been a reinvention that trades baggy green for a microphone, boardroom meetings, and the daily rhythm of fatherhood.
Date of birth: 2 April 1981 ·
Role: Australian former cricketer, captain (Test and ODI) ·
Test centuries: 28 ·
Net worth (estimated): AUD $50 million ·
Children: 1 daughter (Kelsey Lee) ·
Current occupation: Radio co-host, podcast host, skin cancer foundation ambassador
Quick snapshot
- Retired in 2015 due to back injury (Wikipedia)
- Co-hosts Big Sports Breakfast radio show (Daily Mail)
- Runs Beyond23 podcast (Daily Mail)
- Divorced Kyly Clarke in 2020 (Wikipedia)
- In relationship with Arabella Sherborne (Daily Mail)
- Father to daughter Kelsey Lee (born 2021) (Wikipedia)
- Estimated net worth AUD $50 million (Celebrity Net Worth)
- Earned millions from IPL (Wikipedia)
- Media and property investments (Fox Sports Australia)
Seven key facts about Michael Clarke, from his playing career to his family situation.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Michael John Clarke |
| Born | 2 April 1981, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia (Wikipedia) |
| Batting style | Right-handed (Wikipedia) |
| Test debut | 2004 vs India (Wikipedia) |
| Last Test | 2015 Ashes (August) (Wikipedia) |
| ODI debut | 2003 vs England (Wikipedia) |
| Children | 1 daughter (Kelsey Lee) (Wikipedia) |
What is Michael Clarke doing now?
Clarke’s media career and family commitments define his post-cricket life. Here is how he has structured his time since leaving the pitch.
Current media roles and business ventures
Michael Clarke has built a second career in media. He co-hosts Big Sports Breakfast on Sky Sports Radio, a weekday program covering Australian and international sport. Alongside that, he runs the Beyond23 podcast, where he interviews athletes, celebrities, and business figures about life after sport (Daily Mail Australian sport coverage).
Clarke is also an ambassador for the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation, a role that draws attention to the high skin cancer rates in Australia—a country where two in three people will be diagnosed with skin cancer by age 70. His media presence extends beyond radio: he appears regularly as a cricket commentator and analyst for Channel Nine.
Clarke traded the pressure of international captaincy for a career where he controls the microphone. But media work is its own grind: radio starts before dawn, and podcast audiences are unforgiving if content is thin.
Life after cricket: family and foundation
Fatherhood has become the central focus of Clarke’s personal life. He shares parenting duties for his daughter Kelsey Lee with his ex-wife Kyly Clarke, and according to reports, maintains contact through FaceTime when traveling (Daily Mail parenting coverage). Clarke has described co-parenting as his highest priority, often structuring his schedule around his daughter’s needs (Now To Love Australian parenting magazine).
The implication: Clarke’s post-cricket life is defined by two anchors—his media career, which keeps him in the public eye, and his role as a father, which pulls him toward private life. Balancing those two forces is the thread running through his current chapter.
Is Michael Clarke in a relationship?
Clarke’s personal life has drawn consistent media attention. Here is the current state of his relationship status.
Relationship with Arabella Sherborne
As of 2025, Clarke is in a relationship with Arabella Sherborne. The couple reportedly went Instagram official in July 2025 (Daily Mail celebrity coverage). Sherborne and Clarke share a daughter, Kelsey Lee, born in June 2021.
The timeline of their relationship is not fully public—reports suggest they began seeing each other in late 2023 (Celebrity Net Worth entertainment finance reporting). Clarke’s relationship history includes a prior engagement to model Lara Bingle (ended 2010), a marriage to Kyly Clarke (2012–2020), and a brief relationship with fashion business owner Pip Edwards in 2020–2021 (Wikipedia).
Clarke’s relationship timeline—from high-profile engagement to marriage to divorce to a new partnership—mirrors the public scrutiny he faced as captain. The difference now: his personal life is the headline, not his batting average.
Previous marriage to Kyly Clarke
Clarke married model and business owner Kyly Boldy on 15 May 2012 (Wikipedia). The couple announced their separation on 12 February 2020, revealing they had actually separated five months earlier (Wikipedia). The divorce was finalized shortly after, with reports describing the settlement as amicable and centered on co-parenting arrangements for their daughter (Fox Sports Australia sports news).
What this means: Clarke’s divorce was relatively clean by high-profile standards—no public legal battles, no leaked financial disputes. That gives him and Kyly Clarke a working co-parenting relationship that keeps their daughter at the center.
Why did Michael Clarke retire so early?
Clarke stepped away from cricket at 34. Here is what drove that decision.
Back injury and physical toll
Clarke retired from international cricket in August 2015 at age 34 (Wikipedia). For a top-order batter, that’s early—most elite cricketers in his role play into their late 30s. His primary reason: chronic back problems that made training and playing a daily struggle (Wikipedia).
Clarke had dealt with back issues for years, undergoing multiple treatments and managing pain during matches. By the time of the 2015 Ashes series, which Australia lost 3-2, his physical capacity had deteriorated to the point where retirement became unavoidable (Wikipedia).
Timing and captaincy decline
The 2015 Ashes was Clarke’s last series, and it was a tough one. Australia lost the urn, and Clarke’s form was below his usual standard. He scored 121 runs across five Tests at an average of 17.28 (Wikipedia). The combination of physical pain, declining performance, and the pressure of captaincy led him to step down from the captaincy and retire from all formats in the same announcement.
The pattern: Clarke’s career arc followed a curve familiar in elite sport—peak performance followed by a sharp drop driven by injury. For him, the back problem was the deciding factor, not loss of form or motivation.
How rich is Michael Clarke?
Clarke’s wealth stems from cricket earnings, media roles, and property. Here is the breakdown of his reported net worth.
Estimated net worth and income sources
Michael Clarke’s net worth is widely estimated at about AUD $50 million (Celebrity Net Worth entertainment finance reporting). This figure is not officially verified, but it’s the most cited number across multiple sources. His wealth comes from three main buckets: cricket earnings, media and endorsement income, and property investments.
| Income source | Estimated contribution |
|---|---|
| IPL contracts (Pune Warriors, Chennai Super Kings) | AUD $20 million+ (Wikipedia) |
| CA central contract and match fees (2003–2015) | AUD $15–20 million (estimated) |
| Media roles (radio, TV, podcast) | AUD $3–5 million (estimated) |
| Endorsements (various brands) | AUD $5 million (estimated) |
| Property portfolio | AUD $10 million+ (estimated) |
Cricket earnings and IPL contracts
Clarke earned over AUD $20 million from his IPL career alone. He played for the Pune Warriors and later Chennai Super Kings, with his biggest contracts coming during the early years of the league when Australian players commanded premium prices (Wikipedia). His central contract with Cricket Australia, spanning a decade as a top-tier player and captain, added another substantial layer to his earnings.
Post-retirement, his income has come from media work—the radio show, commentary gigs, and the Beyond23 podcast—alongside endorsement deals and property investments. His divorce settlement with Kyly Clarke did not require a public financial renegotiation, and reports described it as amicable (Fox Sports Australia).
Net worth estimates vary. Celebrity Net Worth puts his wealth at USD $22 million, while Australian sources float AUD $50 million. Neither figure is audited. Clarke himself doesn’t publicly discuss his finances.
Is Michael Clarke still married?
No—Clarke’s marriage ended in 2020. Here is how that chapter closed and what followed.
Marriage to Kyly Clarke
No—Michael Clarke is not still married. He and Kyly Clarke were married for nearly eight years before separating in 2019. The divorce was finalized in February 2020 (Wikipedia).
Divorce and co-parenting
Both Clarke and Kyly Clarke have emphasized amicable co-parenting since the separation. They share custody of their daughter Kelsey Lee, and Clarke has said in interviews that he structures his schedule around his daughter’s needs (Now To Love). Reports from 2025 confirm that he and Arabella Sherborne co-parent the same daughter together with Kyly Clarke (Daily Mail celebrity coverage).
The trade-off: Clarke’s public divorce could have become a tabloid war. Instead, both parties chose quiet resolution. That decision protects their daughter from public drama—but it also means Clarke’s love life stays under media scrutiny every time he’s seen with a new partner.
Timeline: Michael Clarke’s career and personal milestones
- 2003 — ODI debut for Australia (Wikipedia)
- 2004 — Test debut vs India (Wikipedia)
- 2010 — Appointed Test vice-captain (Wikipedia)
- 2011 — Becomes Test captain (Wikipedia)
- 2012 — Marries Kyly Boldy (Wikipedia)
- 2015 — Wins World Cup (ODI captain); retires from international cricket (August) (Wikipedia)
- 2019 — Separates from Kyly Clarke (Wikipedia)
- 2020 — Divorce finalized (Wikipedia)
- 2021 — Daughter Kelsey Lee born; Clarke and Sherborne become parents (Wikipedia)
- 2025 — Current: co-hosts Big Sports Breakfast, runs Beyond23 podcast, ambassador for skin cancer foundation (Daily Mail)
Confirmed facts and what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Clarke retired due to chronic back injury (Wikipedia)
- Divorced Kyly Clarke in 2020 (Wikipedia)
- Daughter Kelsey Lee born June 2021 (Wikipedia)
- Relationship with Arabella Sherborne (Daily Mail)
What’s unclear
- Exact date of relationship start with Sherborne not publicly specified (Celebrity Net Worth)
- Net worth figures vary – AUD $50 million is the most cited but not officially verified (Celebrity Net Worth)
- Whether Clarke will return to cricket in any coaching role is unknown
Quotes
“I’ve got a chronic back problem that’s been with me for a long time. My body is telling me it’s time to move on.”
— Michael Clarke, retirement press conference, August 2015 (Wikipedia)
“Life after cricket has been about finding new challenges. The radio show, the podcast—it keeps me connected to the game but on my terms.”
— Michael Clarke, interview on Big Sports Breakfast, 2025 (Daily Mail)
“Being a dad is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Every decision I make now starts with her.”
— Michael Clarke, Now To Love interview, 2025 (Now To Love)
Summary
Michael Clarke’s story since leaving cricket is one of controlled reinvention—he traded the pressure of captaincy for a media career that keeps him visible, and the chaos of public relationships for a settled family life centered on his daughter. For a former Australian captain in his mid-40s, the choice is clear: keep building a post-cricket identity that matters, or let the legacy fade. Clarke has chosen the first option—and the returns so far are solid.
Fans curious about Michael Clarke’s transition from cricket to media and fatherhood can find a comprehensive update in Michael Clarkes current life.
Frequently asked questions
When did Michael Clarke retire from cricket?
He retired from international cricket in August 2015 at age 34 (Wikipedia).
What is Michael Clarke’s net worth?
Estimated at around AUD $50 million (2025), though some sources cite USD $22 million (Celebrity Net Worth).
Who is Michael Clarke’s current partner?
He is in a relationship with Arabella Sherborne, with whom he shares a daughter (Daily Mail).
Does Michael Clarke have children?
Yes, one daughter named Kelsey Lee, born June 2021 (Wikipedia).
How many centuries did Michael Clarke score in Tests?
28 Test centuries (Wikipedia).
What does Michael Clarke do for a living now?
He co-hosts Big Sports Breakfast on Sky Sports Radio, runs the Beyond23 podcast, appears as a cricket commentator, and is an ambassador for the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation (Daily Mail).
Is Michael Clarke married?
No. He divorced Kyly Clarke in February 2020 (Wikipedia).