London, December 9:

Former England all-rounder Chris Lewis has been charged with attempting to smuggle cocaine with a street value of more than £200,000 into Britain.

The 40-year-old was arrested along with an alleged accomplice on Monday after border control officers at London’s Gatwick airport found four kilograms of the illegal drug in liquid form in fruit tins in a baggage that had arrived from the Caribbean island of St Lucia. Lewis was due to appear at a preliminary court hearing to answer charges which could result in a prison sentence.

Lewis arrived in London on Monday morning on a flight from St Lucia. He was travelling with Chad Kirnon, 26, who was also arrested and charged. Guyana-born Lewis took 93 wickets during his England Test career and 66 wickets in one-day internationals, at averages of 37.5 and 29.4 respectively.