Lewis set free from prison

Former England international allrounder Chris Lewis have been released from jail after serving six years for drug smuggling.

Lewis was incarcerated in May 2009 for attempting to bring liquid cocaine worth more than £140,000 into Britain.

Officers reportedly found the narcotics hidden in his cricket bag between fruit juice containers after he was stopped and searched at Gatwick airport on his return from St Lucia.

Lewis said his time behind bars had been more mentally taxing than physical.

"On a physical level jail has not been hard," he said. "It's a hard mental exercise to stop yourself from thinking negatively. For 24 hours a day you're a prisoner.

"I've had six years in jail and until recently I would still look around and think 'wow you're in jail'. That was not part of the plan. I never saw that coming."

"It's nice to be back – and I don't mean being outside – I mean back being me."

Following his release, Lewis revealed the Professional Cricketers Association had been extremely supportive of him throughout the ordeal and he was now looking to work with them to help educate young cricketers to avoid his mistakes.

"Take the advice that is available now through the PCA.

"There have been enough people who have gone through this journey that there is decent advice for young cricketers to take care of their money, to take care of the things that they need to take care of themselves but most of all to have fun.

"You don't know how far you can go. The world's your oyster.

"The PCA has been extremely supportive from the beginning of this situation. 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."

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