Former England all-rounder Chris Lewis has been charged with attempting to smuggle cocaine with a street value of more than 200,000 pounds 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 (nine pounds) of the illegal drug in liquid form in fruit tins in a baggage that had arrived from the Caribbean island ofSt Lucia.

Lewis was due to appear at a preliminary court hearing on Tuesday 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 Kimon, 26, who was also arrested and charged.

Guyana-bom 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.

He finished with a Test batting average of 23 but was | widely regarded as having failed to live up to the potential of his early years, when he was tipped to become the new Ian Botham.

He retired from county cricket in 2000 because of a persistent hip injury after spells with Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Surrey.

He re-joined Surrey earlier this year with a view to playing in 20-overs matches but that plan was scuppered by injury.