Martin Crowe
Encyclopedia
Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand
cricket
er. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand
from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman. Through the early part of his career he was also a medium-pace bowler. He captained New Zealand in the early 1990s, and during this period he brought many innovations, such as opening with spin bowlers and utilising pinch hitting batsmen.
, a former New Zealand domestic cricketer. Crowe's brother, Jeff
, also represented New Zealand at international level, and both are cousins of actor Russell Crowe
.
and Wellington. He scored nearly 20,000 first-class runs, with 71 centuries. His average of 56.02 is one of the highest first-class averages of all time.
Crowe played 77 test matches
, averaging 45.65 with the bat, including 17 centuries and 18 half-centuries. He also played 143 One Day International, averaging 38.55, and hit four centuries and 34 half-centuries. In 1991, he shared a 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones
, at the time the highest partnership in Test history and in 2009 remained the third highest. Crowe was dismissed on 299, the highest innings by a New Zealander in Test history. Inzamam-ul-Haq
considers him to be one of the three best batsmen he has seen along with Viv Richards
and Ricky Ponting
.
He also made the highest number of runs in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, in which New Zealand came first in the league round before losing to fourth-qualified Pakistan in the semifinal.
Whilst captaining in the 1992 World Cup, New Zealand lost only two matches. Former captain of Pakistan cricket team, Rameez Raja
said
Rugby League Football Club which Russell Crowe is part owner of. He was roped in as the CEO in to the management team of Royal Challengers Bangalore
, a team in the Indian Premier League
. Midway through the season the owner Vijay Mallya
expressed displeasure over the team and its performance in the league by sacking its bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad
and mentor Charu Sharma
blaming them for dismal team performance. Later in October of the same year, Crowe parted ways with the team and brought in Ray Jennings
, the former coach of the South African National Cricket Team as the head coach of the team. Sources suggested that Mr.Mallya was unhappy with the team he had and held Crowe and his management team responsible for the debacle.
that he wanted to improve his fitness by setting a goal to play first-class cricket again. He cited that he is only 3 first-class matches from 250, and 392 runs short of 20,000 runs.
Crowe took his first step to playing first-class cricket by playing at club level at the age of 49 (he was due to debut much earlier, but was delayed due to a groin injury). He played for the Cornwall reserve grade team, captaining them and batting at No.3 against Papatoetoe in a second-division club match in Auckland
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman. Through the early part of his career he was also a medium-pace bowler. He captained New Zealand in the early 1990s, and during this period he brought many innovations, such as opening with spin bowlers and utilising pinch hitting batsmen.
Early life
Crowe was born in September 1962 in Henderson, Auckland, to Dave CroweDave Crowe
David William Crowe was a New Zealand cricketer who played three first class matches for Canterbury and Wellington between 1953 and 1958. He was the father of New Zealand international Test and One Day International players Martin Crowe and Jeff Crowe; and uncle of the actor Russell...
, a former New Zealand domestic cricketer. Crowe's brother, Jeff
Jeff Crowe
Jeffrey John Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He is the son of Dave Crowe and elder brother of Martin Crowe. They are cousins of Oscar winning actor, Russell Crowe....
, also represented New Zealand at international level, and both are cousins of actor Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
.
Domestic cricket
Crowe represented four domestic cricket teams in his career, Auckland, Central Districts, SomersetSomerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
and Wellington. He scored nearly 20,000 first-class runs, with 71 centuries. His average of 56.02 is one of the highest first-class averages of all time.
International career
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, averaging 45.65 with the bat, including 17 centuries and 18 half-centuries. He also played 143 One Day International, averaging 38.55, and hit four centuries and 34 half-centuries. In 1991, he shared a 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones (cricketer)
Andrew Howard Jones is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 39 Tests and 87 ODIs from 1987 to 1995. He played for three provinces during his domestic career: Central Districts Stags, Otago Volts and Wellington Firebirds....
, at the time the highest partnership in Test history and in 2009 remained the third highest. Crowe was dismissed on 299, the highest innings by a New Zealander in Test history. Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
considers him to be one of the three best batsmen he has seen along with Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
and Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
.
He also made the highest number of runs in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, in which New Zealand came first in the league round before losing to fourth-qualified Pakistan in the semifinal.
Whilst captaining in the 1992 World Cup, New Zealand lost only two matches. Former captain of Pakistan cricket team, Rameez Raja
Rameez Raja
Rameez Hasan Raja is a former Pakistani right handed batsman in cricket, who represented the Pakistan cricket team during the 1980s and 1990s. He also worked as captain of the national team...
said
Coaching
After his retirement, Crowe helped develop a local variation of cricket, called "Cricket Max", and became a television commentator and pundit. He is currently a board member of the South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
Rugby League Football Club which Russell Crowe is part owner of. He was roped in as the CEO in to the management team of Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore is a cricket team based in Bangalore that plays in the Indian Premier League and currently lead by Daniel Vettori. The team is owned by Dr...
, a team in the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
. Midway through the season the owner Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya is an Indian liquor and airline baron. The son of industrialist Vittal Mallya, he is the chairman of the United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines. His United Spirits is world's second largest liquor maker, by volume...
expressed displeasure over the team and its performance in the league by sacking its bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad
Venkatesh Prasad
Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad is a former Indian cricketer. He is the bowling coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, having formerly performed the same role for the Indian cricket team from 2007 to 2009. He made his debut in 1996...
and mentor Charu Sharma
Charu Sharma
Charu Sharma is an Indian commentator, compere and quizmaster. He was the CEO of the Royal Challengers Bangalore Twenty20 cricket team for the 2008 Indian Premier League but was fired due to the team's poor performances...
blaming them for dismal team performance. Later in October of the same year, Crowe parted ways with the team and brought in Ray Jennings
Ray Jennings
Raymond Vernon Jennings is a former South African cricketer. He was one of South Africa's leading wicket-keepers during the apartheid era....
, the former coach of the South African National Cricket Team as the head coach of the team. Sources suggested that Mr.Mallya was unhappy with the team he had and held Crowe and his management team responsible for the debacle.
Comeback
On 19 May 2011, Crowe commented on TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that he wanted to improve his fitness by setting a goal to play first-class cricket again. He cited that he is only 3 first-class matches from 250, and 392 runs short of 20,000 runs.
Crowe took his first step to playing first-class cricket by playing at club level at the age of 49 (he was due to debut much earlier, but was delayed due to a groin injury). He played for the Cornwall reserve grade team, captaining them and batting at No.3 against Papatoetoe in a second-division club match in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
External links
- Player Profile: Martin Crowe from Cricket Archive