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.