Former England cricketer Angus Fraser yesterday 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 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.
CONCEALED COCAINE
A jury at Croydon Crown Court near London convicted Lewis on Wednesday of trying to bring more than £140,000 (US$220,700) 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 realize 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 and £100,000 a year.”
“When he retired, that income would have diminished because coaching pays well but not that much. Those regular paychecks suddenly disappeared. He would have been accustomed to a lifestyle that he almost certainly couldn’t afford any more,” Fraser wrote.
CARS AND CLOTHES
Fraser said Lewis “liked his cars and he liked his clothes,” but said: “None of us really knew what made him tick ... He was a private person.”
“You look over his career and think to yourself: if only,” Fraser added.
Lewis’ co-accused Chad Kirnon was also found guilty and received the same sentence.
Judge Nicholas Ainley, who said both men could be released after half the sentence, told them they were motivated by greed.
Lewis testified during the trial that he had smoked marijuana from time to time but never touched cocaine.
“I’ve never even tried cocaine, I’ve never smuggled cocaine, or any other drug,” he told the jury.
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