61 Facts About Martin Crowe

Martin David Crowe was a New Zealand cricketer, Test and ODI captain as well as a commentator.

Martin Crowe played for the New Zealand national cricket team between 1982 and 1995, and is regarded as one of the country's greatest batsmen.

Martin Crowe was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world".

Martin Crowe was appointed New Zealand's captain in 1990, and led the team until 1993.

At the 1992 World Cup, which New Zealand co-hosted with Australia, Martin Crowe was named the player of the tournament, and led his team to a semi-final.

Martin Crowe was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2012, but was declared cancer-free the following year.

Martin Crowe was one of the main brains of initiating the ICC World Test Championship concept which was initially proposed in 2009 but did not materialise until 2019.

Martin Crowe was born in Henderson, a suburb of Auckland, to a family of cricketers.

In 1968, Martin Crowe joined his father and brother at the Cornwall Cricket Club, with which he maintained a lifelong connection.

Martin Crowe captained the school's cricket team, and played rugby union, as a wing.

Martin Crowe was the great-grandson of All Black Francis Jervis.

Martin Crowe made his first-class debut in January 1980, playing for Auckland against Canterbury.

In 1981, having been named New Zealand's Young Cricketer of the Year, Martin Crowe was given the opportunity to spend six months on the ground staff of Lord's, simultaneously playing for the Marylebone Cricket Club.

In 1984, Martin Crowe signed to play English county cricket with Somerset.

Martin Crowe had great success in his first County Championship season, finishing second behind Vic Marks in Somerset's averages and placing sixth for overall runs scored.

However, Martin Crowe did not return to the county until the 1987 season.

Martin Crowe returned for a final season at Somerset in 1988, but was able to play only a handful of matches.

Martin Crowe made his international debut for New Zealand in February 1982, in a One Day International game against Australia played at Auckland's Eden Park.

Martin Crowe made his Test debut at the end of the month, playing against the same team at Wellington's Basin Reserve.

At the 1983 World Cup in England, Martin Crowe played in all six of his team's matches, with only Geoff Howarth scoring more runs.

Later in the year, Martin Crowe played in the 1987 World Cup in India.

Martin Crowe finished as New Zealand's leading run-scorer, making three half-centuries from six matches, although his team struggled.

Martin Crowe was first appointed captain of New Zealand for a tour of Pakistan in October and November 1990.

Martin Crowe was at the crease for 523 balls and over ten hours, and scored 29 fours and three sixes.

At the 1992 World Cup, which New Zealand co-hosted with Australia, Martin Crowe finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 456 runs, and was named player of the tournament.

Martin Crowe largely blamed himself for his team's loss, and in a 2014 article said that his decision not to take the field was "a curse that had tormented me for over two decades".

Martin Crowe had struggled with injuries for several years, and was replaced by Ken Rutherford to allow him to concentrate on his form.

In total, Martin Crowe captained New Zealand in sixteen Tests, winning only two.

Martin Crowe had a much better record in ODIs, with the team winning 21 out of 44 matches under his captaincy.

Martin Crowe was described by broadcaster Bryan Waddle as a "proactive rather than reactive" leader, who was "always prepared to be innovative".

Martin Crowe had a troubled relationship with the media throughout his captaincy, in one case using a press conference to confront a journalist who had published an article implying he had AIDS.

Martin Crowe continued playing for several more seasons, eventually retiring after a tour of India in October and November 1995.

Martin Crowe scored his final international hundred in the first ODI of the tour, aged 33.

Martin Crowe finished with 5,444 Test runs and 4,704 ODI runs, both New Zealand records at the time.

Martin Crowe held the record for the most Test centuries by a New Zealander at the time, finishing with seventeen.

On 28 February 2015, Martin Crowe was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Martin Crowe was inducted in a ceremony during the lunch break of New Zealand's win against Australia during the 2015 World Cup.

Martin Crowe made 21 centuries in international cricket, 17 in Tests and 4 in One Day Internationals.

Martin Crowe scored his first Test century against England, at the Basin Reserve on 20 January 1984, scoring 100.

Martin Crowe scored his final Test century, against England at Old Trafford, Manchester on 30 June 1994, scoring 115.

Martin Crowe played his final Test match against India at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on 8 November 1995, having played 77 matches.

Martin Crowe scored his first ODI century against England, at Eden Park, scoring 105 not out.

Martin Crowe scored his final ODI century against India at the Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur on 15 November 1995, scoring 107 not out, his highest score in ODIs.

Martin Crowe played his final ODI in the final game of the same series against India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur on 26 November 1995, having played 143 matches.

Martin Crowe was a board member of the South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Football Club of which Russell Crowe is part owner.

Martin Crowe was roped in as the CEO of the management team of Royal Challengers Bangalore, a team in the Indian Premier League.

Martin Crowe has mentored current New Zealand batsmen, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.

On 19 May 2011, Martin Crowe commented on Twitter that he wanted to improve his fitness by setting a goal to play first-class cricket again.

Martin Crowe cited that he was only 3 first-class matches away from 250 matches, and 392 runs short of 20,000 runs.

Martin Crowe took his first step to playing first-class cricket by playing at club level at the age of 49.

Martin Crowe played for the Cornwall reserve grade team, captaining them and batting at No 3 against Papatoetoe in a second-division club match in Auckland, the same club where his father played grade cricket.

On 15 October 2012, it was revealed that Martin Crowe had been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Martin Crowe blamed the illness on a failing immune system, which had been weakened by various illnesses picked up while touring India in the 1980s and 1990s.

On 5 June 2013, Martin Crowe announced that he was free of cancer on Campbell Live, but he would cut his ties with cricket, as he was a self-proclaimed "recovering addict to cricket, much like an alcoholic".

Martin Crowe says he wore a 'mask' from the age of 22, due to high expectations, but at the age of 51 was happy to 'look at the real me'.

Martin Crowe attended the 2015 Cricket World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which in fact was his last public appearance.

Martin Crowe died of complications from the disease in Auckland on 3 March 2016.

Martin Crowe's funeral was held in Holy Trinity Cathedral in a Christian ceremony in Parnell, Auckland.

In 2009, Martin Crowe married for a third time, to Lorraine Downes, a former Miss Universe.

Martin Crowe was regarded as an "outstanding" fieldsman, and against Zimbabwe in the 1987 World Cup dismissed David Houghton with an outstretched diving catch that was said to have won New Zealand the game.

Martin Crowe often had highly developed bowling and fielding plans, regularly rotating his bowlers and changing his fields to put pressure on opposing batsmen.