Chris Lewis is a former England cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Leicestershire in the 1990s. He played in 32 Test matches and 53 One Day Internationals for England between 1990 and 1998. He was a talented all-round player, sometimes better known for his off field antics than his ability on a cricket pitch!
Chris Lewis beginnings
Born in Georgetown, Chris Lewis moved to England with his family as a child and grew up in north London. He joined his first county, Leicestershire, in 1987, making his cricket debut in June of that year.
England
In the winter of 1989/90 he was chosen for the England A tour of Zimbabwe, but injuries in the first team saw him promoted into the full England squad touring West Indies, where in February 1990 he made the first of his 53 One-Day International appearances. Test honours followed in the summer when Lewis made his debut against New Zealand.
Talent
Chris Lewis could touch the heights few in the county game could reach. His fast-medium seamers were propelled by an athletic, high action and his batting was full of exquisite onside drives and fierce cuts. Chris’s fielding could be sensational, but apart from some excellent bowling in the 1992 World Cup, his talent didn’t always come to the fore, allowing critics to get stuck in, especially with his off the pitch antics such as posing for a magazine in his underwear or shaving his head and getting sunstroke, or turning up late for practice because of a “flat tyre”.
Prison
Several controversial incidents surrounded Chris during his playing career. Another came in 2008 when he was arrested and charged with smuggling cocaine into the country. He was convicted and served 6 years of a 13-year prison sentence.
Comeback
Since his release, Chris has written and spoken openly about his career and post-cricket experiences. His autobiography ‘Crazy: My Road to Redemption’ was published in 2017 and was followed in 2019 by T’he Long Walk Back’, a play about his life by Dougie Blaxland.
Speaker
Lewis has worked with the Professional Cricketers Association to help young cricketers learn from his experiences and also speaks to a range of audiences with great honesty and humility.
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