Agence France-Presse
Wellington, March 3: 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. Crowe had stopped taking medication from December last year stating that ‘he would rather battle cancer with heart than artificial means’.
“It is with heavy hearts that the family of Martin Crowe, MBE, advise his death,” his family said in a release. His family also informed that 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.”
The batsman’s cousin, Hollywood star Russell Crowe, who was in frequent contact during Martin’s cancer fight, said he had lost a true friend. “My champion, my hero, my friend. I will love you forever. RIP MDCrowe,” the New Zealand-born actor tweeted.
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.
It was Crowe, who devised ‘pinch hitters’ when he promoted middle-order batsman Mark Greatbatch as opener during the 1992 World Cup – a move which was widely hailed and later on followed by many captains and teams.
In his retirement, Crowe devised a new ultra-short form of the game called ‘Cricket Max’ for his 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.
“Martin was a truly great sportsman – one of our finest-ever batsmen and sharpest cricketing minds,” Prime Minister John Key said.
New Zealand Cricket said it was ‘deeply saddened’ at the loss of the country’s greatest batsman. Former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming called Crowe ‘one of our true greats’. “An inspiration to me and so many others,” he tweeted.
