Chris Lewis
Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 1:44 pmSurprised there was no topic about this already, pretty sad as I didn't mind him as a player but it's his fault I guess.
Cricketer Chris Lewis jailed for cocaine smuggling
From correspondents in London
Agence France-Presse
May 21, 2009 11:53am
Chris Lewis
Jailed ... former England fast bowler Chris Lewis has been jailed for 13 years / AFP
FORMER England cricketer Angus Fraser has lamented a "sad day for cricket" after former fast bowler Chris Lewis was jailed for 13 years for smuggling cocaine into Britain.
Fraser wrote in the Independent newspaper today that his one-time teammate Lewis was "without question the best athlete I ever played with, an amazing specimen" - but a man whose love of cars and clothes may have led to his downfall.
A jury at Croydon Crown Court near London convicted Lewis yesterday of trying to bring more than £140,000 ($284,610) worth of cocaine into the country from St Lucia, packed in cans of fruit and vegetable juice.
The 41-year-old had played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals in the 1990s. He was tipped to become the new Ian Botham early in his career but was widely viewed to have failed to realise his potential.
"His case highlights the difficulty of what sportsmen do when they complete their playing careers," Fraser wrote.
"By the end of his playing days, Chris would have been earning something between £75,000 ($152,470) and £100,000 ($203,295) a year.
"When he retired, that income would have diminished because coaching pays well but not that much. Those regular pay cheques suddenly disappeared.
"He would have been accustomed to a lifestyle that he almost certainly couldn't afford any more."
Fraser said Lewis "likes his cars and he likes his clothes", but said: "None of us really knew what made him tick ... He was a private person."
He added: "You look over his career and think to yourself: if only."
Lewis' co-accused Chad Kirnon was also found guilty and received the same sentence.
