AFP
Wellington
Pioneering cricketer Martin Crowe, widely acknowledged as New Zealand's greatest batsman who laid the foundations for Twenty20 cricket, was hailed a "hero" Thursday after he died of cancer aged 53. Diagnosed in September 2014 with terminal double-hit lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer, he passed away in Auckland surrounded by family.
"It is with heavy hearts that the family of Martin Crowe, MBE, advise his death," his family said. The batsman's cousin, Hollywood star Russell Crowe, who was in frequent contact during his cancer fight, said he had lost a true friend. "My champion, my hero, my friend. I will love you forever. RIP M.D.Crowe," the New Zealand-born actor tweeted.
Crowe's family said he died surrounded by his loved ones and asked for privacy after the star's lengthy and very public battle with the disease, adding: "God speed. Rest in peace."
Crowe enjoyed a 13-year international career from 1982-95, including four years as captain. He had a Test average of 45.36 in 77 matches and held a slew of New Zealand batting records when he retired, including most Test runs (5,444), highest Test score (299), most 50s (35) and most hundreds (17) -- the last of which still stands.
In his retirement, Crowe devised a new ultra-short form of the game called Cricket Max for his new employer Sky Television, which helped lay the foundation for the modern Twenty20 revolution. An ICC Hall of Fame inductee, he remained involved with New Zealand's top players until the end, mentoring batsmen such as Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill. He particularly enjoyed the Black Caps' fairytale run to the Cricket World Cup final last year, admitting at the time that he had been uncertain he would live to see the tournament.
"Martin was a truly great sportsman -- one of our finest-ever batsmen and sharpest cricketing minds," Prime Minister John Key said. Former Black Cap Craig Cumming said most experts agreed Crowe's career statistics would have been even more imposing but for a string of injuries.
"He had that freak ability to predict what length the ball was going to be bowled from the release point," he said. "So he was already getting in position based on how the ball was released and his sixth sense allowed him to do that."
International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson described him as "a larger than life cricketer". "Martin’s passing is very sad news. He was not only one of the finest batsmen New Zealand has ever produced but also one of the very best the world has ever seen," he added.
Crowe's batting in numbers
Matches Runs Average 100s/50s High score
Tests 77 5444 45.36 17/18 299
ODIs 143 4704 38.55 4/34 107*
First-class 247 19608 56.02 71/80 299
17 Test tons for Martin Crowe - the most by any batsman for New Zealand. The next batsmen in this list have four centuries less - Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson with 13 each. Crowe made centuries against seven of the eight opponents he played against, missing a hundred only against South Africa. His average of 45.36 is only bettered by Taylor and Williamson, at present, among those with 2000 or more runs for New Zealand.
5444 Runs scored in Crowe's Test career - the highest for New Zealand at his retirement in 1995. Crowe had gone past John Wright's tally of 5334 runs to become New Zealand's highest run-getter in Tests in January 1995, against South Africa in Cape Town. Even more than two decades since his exit from Test cricket, only two New Zealand batsmen have eclipsed Crowe's run-tally: Stephen Fleming (7172) and Brendon McCullum (6453).
58.46 Crowe's average in Tests between 1985 and 1991 - the best for any batsman with at least 2500 runs in the period. Crowe made 3391 runs in 66 innings in those six years. His 12 centuries in that period also were the most by any batsman, bettering Allan Border, Graham Gooch and Richie Richardson who made 11 centuries each. Crowe's average never reached 30 till his 21st Test match and the average in his last seven Tests was less than 20 as well. He averaged 56.20 in those 50 Tests between his 20th and 71st Test, and made 16 centuries.
