THE chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association says the organisation will stand by and support former England all-rounder Chris Lewis after his 13-year jail sentence for smuggling cocaine into Britain.

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Interviewed in the July issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Sean Morris says: "It is very clear that the transition from professional sport into another life is very, very difficult, especially for cricketers. The time you spend in a very close community is unlike other sports. The narrow margin between success and failure is also unlike other sports – you nick the first ball and that’s it. So you have very low lows."

Morris pledged PCA support for Lewis. "Those who shared a dressing room with him know him and remember him as a nice guy and as a great cricketer," he said. "When he needs help, we’ll be there to do the best we can by him."

Morris pointed out that the number of cricketers still getting into difficulties after retiring was still "far, far too high" despite the re-education programmes offered by the PCA to help cricketers make the transition to another career.

The July issue of The Wisden Cricketer is on sale at leading outlets from June 4. It includes a comprehensive 21-page preview of the ICC World Twenty20.

www.thewisdencricketer.com