Martin Crowe has Mid Life Crisis (and may well pull it off)

[Hurricane]

Lol, no. He has to start from scratch just as every other player in New Zealand has done, simple as that.

He has already started from scratch when he was 5 years old and made a headline in a newspaper.

If he is being selected for the 2nd team based on how he looks in the nets then he must be very rusty.

 

[SteveNZ]

He has every right to think he is too good to play in the 2nds. The man was on the Lord's honours board twice.

It was also bull**** when they made Sonny Bill try out in the Cantabs 2nd team because they weren't sure if he was any good.

I also think Crowe will find it easier to bat against better bowlers because they will be more predictable.

Finally you can get out in any level of cricket - didn't Chris Gayle get out to usain Bolt in some charity match. I think Crowe is better off not risking his reputation in a lower grade of cricket. If he is going to fail let him fail in premier grade cricket.

With all respect mate, he doesn't have every right to think that. He hasn't played competitive cricket for 16 years or whatever it is. To think he can just walk back into Cornwall prems, who have a very, very good recent history in 2-day cricket, is arrogant and self-serving in the extreme.

But now the threats he's made by holding them to ransom, saying he'd go to Uni have worked for him. Why else would he picked on the basis on 15 v Papatoetoe 2nds where he got dropped twice on the way to doing so?

 

[African Monkey]

With all respect mate, he doesn't have every right to think that. He hasn't played competitive cricket for 16 years or whatever it is. To think he can just walk back into Cornwall prems, who have a very, very good recent history in 2-day cricket, is arrogant and self-serving in the extreme.

But now the threats he's made by holding them to ransom, saying he'd go to Uni have worked for him. Why else would he picked on the basis on 15 v Papatoetoe 2nds where he got dropped twice on the way to doing so?

Do you play for Cornwall?

 

[SteveNZ]

Nope, it's not my spot he's taking!

 

[African Monkey]

Nope, it's not my spot he's taking!

Is he taking your sons spot or something?

I agree with what you have to say about the guy but you seem to know a lot about how he's going. Do you coach at the club?

 

[Flem274*]

Judging by his support for guys like Munro and McClenaghan, I'd guess he's a Howick-Pakuranga man.

 

[SteveNZ]

Fine deduction above. Although those two outstanding cricketers deserve defending from any quarter.

I don't have a problem per se with Crowe, I thought the exposure for club cricket could have been a great thing. But I'm becoming more and more fed up with his attitude towards it.

Despite being a Cornwall player, he trained all off-season at Papatoetoe's great new facility and they were very welcoming of him. Then he slagged off their pitches. Doesn't get picked for the top side (rightly so at least in my opinion) and demands a spot or he's leaving. Talks about how much he loves grassroots cricket, Cornwall etc but a) hasn't been sighted at club level in decades and b) was going to Uni.

There are guys like Richard Jones, Matt Horne, Kerry Walmsley, Aaron Barnes who gave back to club cricket after their FC careers were over..those are the ones who remembered where they came from and help keep it alive.

 

[Prince EWS]

Judging by his support for guys like Munro and McClenaghan, I'd guess he's a Howick-Pakuranga man.

I'm still not convinced that he's not actually Munro.

 

[Flem274*]

Fine deduction above. Although those two outstanding cricketers deserve defending from any quarter.

I don't have a problem per se with Crowe, I thought the exposure for club cricket could have been a great thing. But I'm becoming more and more fed up with his attitude towards it.

Despite being a Cornwall player, he trained all off-season at Papatoetoe's great new facility and they were very welcoming of him. Then he slagged off their pitches. Doesn't get picked for the top side (rightly so at least in my opinion) and demands a spot or he's leaving. Talks about how much he loves grassroots cricket, Cornwall etc but a) hasn't been sighted at club level in decades and b) was going to Uni.

There are guys like Richard Jones, Matt Horne, Kerry Walmsley, Aaron Barnes who gave back to club cricket after their FC careers were over..those are the ones who remembered where they came from and help keep it alive.

Does Richard Jones still bat like he's playing golf?

"Get up! Get up!" is forever etched in my memory from a one day game I saw him bat in.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Meh, if you think you're too good to a level of cricket, take a couple of games to show it ffs. Irrelevant anyway now, the baby got his bottle.

 

[Hurricane]

With all respect mate, he doesn't have every right to think that. He hasn't played competitive cricket for 16 years or whatever it is. To think he can just walk back into Cornwall prems, who have a very, very good recent history in 2-day cricket, is arrogant and self-serving in the extreme.

But now the threats he's made by holding them to ransom, saying he'd go to Uni have worked for him. Why else would he picked on the basis on 15 v Papatoetoe 2nds where he got dropped twice on the way to doing so?

He doesn't have much time Steve. If he was 26 he could afford to spend half a season in the 2nds. One of the things the older plays tell you is that time is precious and it ticks by quickly.

Also if Cornwall didn't want him in the premier side then they didn't need to yield to his pressure. What's it to them if he walks and goes to play for another club. He is just a second team player at this point apparently so how can he even hold them to ransom.

The only leverage he had is that they would look unreasonable if another club were willing to play him in prems and they weren't.

 

[Hurricane]

There are guys like Richard Jones, Matt Horne, Kerry Walmsley, Aaron Barnes who gave back to club cricket after their FC careers were over..those are the ones who remembered where they came from and help keep it alive.

Crowe did more to help club cricket through his exploits with NZ than any of those players did.

 

[SteveNZ]

Crowe did more to help club cricket through his exploits with NZ than any of those players did.

On what basis? If you mean by players wanting to be like him, that's a pretty tenuous link. He gave very little tangibly to club cricket. All the names I mentioned had a direct influence and can claim to have been early role models to a few first-class cricketers and higher.

It doesn't matter how old he is. Cornwall have dominated 2-day cricket for as long as I can remember..why should they pick a guy because if they don't know, he'll be on superannuation in a couple of years' time? Yes, they have now..and I'm not privy to why they have done so. He wasn't picked last week, and he's put together a scratchy 15 against one of the lower sides. So it's not on form, or deservedness of being there. One game in 2nds and he was whinging. And his club wouldn't have looked bad if he got a run somewhere else, University is a minor comp side for a start. Guarantee he wouldn't be in the top side at our club either.

Haha, funny point on Richard Jones - I remember him doing that somewhere along the lines as well. Also used to wave when passing 50/100 rather than raise his bat. Top guy, still giving back to North Shore now despite his career being over and having a family.

 

[Athlai]

He doesn't have much time Steve. If he was 26 he could afford to spend half a season in the 2nds. One of the things the older plays tell you is that time is precious and it ticks by quickly.

Also if Cornwall didn't want him in the premier side then they didn't need to yield to his pressure. What's it to them if he walks and goes to play for another club. He is just a second team player at this point apparently so how can he even hold them to ransom.

The only leverage he had is that they would look unreasonable if another club were willing to play him in prems and they weren't.

If he doesn't have much time then why bother at all? He hasn't proven he is one of the best possible options, nor does he give them any kind of future security. Just seems like a stunt to me.

 

[Flem274*]

Richard Jones scoring a double ton against the West Indies was so awesome. Always great to see a solid domestic player pull the innings of their life out against an international side.

 

[_Ed_]

Haha, yes. He was unlucky not to get more of a shot in Tests, IMO.

 

[Hurricane]

On what basis? If you mean by players wanting to be like him, that's a pretty tenuous link. He gave very little tangibly to club cricket. All the names I mentioned had a direct influence and can claim to have been early role models to a few first-class cricketers and higher.

It doesn't matter how old he is. Cornwall have dominated 2-day cricket for as long as I can remember..why should they pick a guy because if they don't know, he'll be on superannuation in a couple of years' time? Yes, they have now..and I'm not privy to why they have done so. He wasn't picked last week, and he's put together a scratchy 15 against one of the lower sides. So it's not on form, or deservedness of being there. One game in 2nds and he was whinging. And his club wouldn't have looked bad if he got a run somewhere else, University is a minor comp side for a start. Guarantee he wouldn't be in the top side at our club either.

They have done stats to show that when the blackcaps win the number of junior kids registrations goes up immediately. He personally must have inspired a ton of kids in his time to take up the game - those kids go on to play club cricket. I would imagine that junior player registrations could vary by up to 10K in a year easily.

@Athlai - I think if he makes Auckland this year it may be his only season I get the feeling he just wants to score one or two tons at FC level. if I am right about my hunch then he will be in a hurry. Whether this is fair or not on those in Auckland club cricket and Auckland FC cricket is a point of debate. I think he is helping as he is drawing attention to the game.

 

[centurymaker]

my mate sometimes bowls at him in the nets. he told me that crowe's rusty as ****.

 

[SteveNZ]

They have done stats to show that when the blackcaps win the number of junior kids registrations goes up immediately. He personally must have inspired a ton of kids in his time to take up the game - those kids go on to play club cricket. I would imagine that junior player registrations could vary by up to 10K in a year easily.

@Athlai - I think if he makes Auckland this year it may be his only season I get the feeling he just wants to score one or two tons at FC level. if I am right about my hunch then he will be in a hurry. Whether this is fair or not on those in Auckland club cricket and Auckland FC cricket is a point of debate. I think he is helping as he is drawing attention to the game.

As I said before, that's not a personal contribution to club cricket. He didn't go out to score Test centuries so little Johnny would wander down to the park and sign up. He did for personal gain be it money, fame etc and for team a distant second I would suggest. Throwing John Wright under a bus re his tactics in the 92 semi and saying we would've won if he stayed fit is a perfect summation of Martin Crowe's ego.

Trust me, Martin Crowe is not getting within a mile of the Auckland side. And again, if he wants to be in a hurry so he can get 1-2 FC tons - he is being completely self-serving. He's not above club cricket. He's not even above 2nd grade, on his results so far.

And I argue he's drawing negative attention for the game. What have we seen in the media so far? A 49 year old's self-confessed mid-life crisis, poor standard of pitches, over-appealing and murmurs of being above the normal process of being selected for sides. Ask people involved in the running of Papatoetoe if they're happy with the coverage their club has gained out of Crowe 'gracing' their ground. They are far from it.

And he's gained far more column inches than the first week of the Plunket Shield, where there were several performances from players who actually have futures in the game (at levels other than golden oldies). How about this one - there was a young talent in the Auckland Gillette Cup final today who took four wickets and scored runs, is a member of the Blues rugby development squad and is being head-hunted by a few NRL clubs. Yet a has-been is the news.

If he came back to the game for the right reasons, great. I was actually welcoming of it when I initially heard. But not now.

 

[Hurricane]

As I said before, that's not a personal contribution to club cricket. He didn't go out to score Test centuries so little Johnny would wander down to the park and sign up. He did for personal gain be it money, fame etc and for team a distant second I would suggest. Throwing John Wright under a bus re his tactics in the 92 semi and saying we would've won if he stayed fit is a perfect summation of Martin Crowe's ego.

Crowe at the end of his book says that he got too injured failed some fitness tests and quit the game.

Other books are not so complimentary for NZ cricket. They claim that his injury wasn't so bad. And that he went to NZ C and asked them for the permission to play test matches only and the next world cup. NZ cricket refused and said unlesshe was available for all forms of the game he couldn't play.

So Crowe was classy not to point fingers about the end of his career if indeed the other reports are true.