GEORGETOWN: Former England all-rounder Chris Lewis was released from prison on Tuesday and admitted fearing for his future after finishing his playing career led him to make “wrong choices”, which ended in a jail sentence for drug smuggling.
Lewis, who was born in Guyana but played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals for his adopted nation, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted in 2009 of smuggling more than £140,000 worth of cocaine into Britain inside his cricket bag. The 47-year-old has served less than half his sentence but has now been released, and he revealed what prompted his fall from grace. “I became afraid of what the future held and at that point the thinking actually went awry,” he said in an interview with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).
“I thought about things and made choices that I shouldn’t have made and that were the wrong choices and that, in the end, I should say sorry for because they were the wrong choices, and I do say sorry.”
Lewis believes his own downfall was partially down to a lack of understanding over what he would do once his playing days were over. “You are playing cricket, perhaps even hoping to get back into the England team, and within the space of a few months it’s actually all over,” he said. “There wasn’t a great deal of information around (then) for young players about what they should be doing or trying to do. Yes, you heard the stories about having to plan for your future because cricket doesn’t last forever but what does that mean? “At the time I thought that planning was taking out a pension or taking out a life insurance which are things that I actually did. Standing here now you know planning is a lot more and it takes a lot more time and effort.”
The PCA has always stood behind Lewis following his conviction and he is now determined to help other cricketers avoid the mistakes he made. He added: “The PCA has been extremely supportive right from the beginning of this situation let’s say. “They have been extremely helpful and certainly, going ahead, I would like to become a part of that whether it’s giving advice or whether it’s just tugging on the grey matter to find out what happened at this particular time. “If any of that can help any young player going ahead I am in. I am in 100 per cent.”
