A Genius of the game - Martin Crowe

[Manju]

What is so special about Martin Crowe? What makes him so unique. I have heard that he is too good in exhibiting new tactics and strategies in the game! Can anyone share some interesting unknown incidents related to that to prove his greatness?

 

[BazBall21]

Not really unknown but he maximised NZ’s limited resources at the World Cup with new strategies such as opening the bowling with the spinner and opening the batting with pinch hitters which he basically invented, catching teams unaware. He then invented cricket max which paved the way for T20. His analysis and observations when it came to technique and methods etc was often top-drawer too. He was the one who dubbed Smith, Root, Kohli and Kane the ‘Fab Four’ too during the early stages of their careers.

 

[Bahnz]

Martin Crowe's greatest unknown moment was trying to be a Cricket Web member, getting accused of being an imposter by Zinzan, calling him a **** and storming out. RIP champ.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Now imagining Martin Crowe playing online mafia and getting increasingly mad when you accuse him of killing the doctor.

 

[thierry henry]

Always felt bad about how little credit he gets for Cricket Max. He basically pioneered modern short form cricket in 1996/97, including making all these jazzy rules himself and supplying the original OTT commentary (like a less moronic earlier version of Danny Morrison's T20 commentary). It pretty much worked too - was pretty popular in NZ in the late 90s and we even got international touring sides to play it.

Then it dies out in like 2003, and right at the same time someone in the UK decides to make a 20 over a side game which is just...a 20 over ODI with all of Crowe's other funky ideas removed. Basically no effort, no innovation, just a shorter game. And that **** takes off as if it's some brilliant new idea.

Honestly Cricket Max and T20 both suck but Crowe was legit ahead of his time.

 

[ashley bach]

Martin Crowe's greatest unknown moment was trying to be a Cricket Web member, getting accused of being an imposter by Zinzan, calling him a **** and storming out. RIP champ.

If KW tried joining CW @Zinzan would crucify him.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Always felt bad about how little credit he gets for Cricket Max. He basically pioneered modern short form cricket in 1996/97, including making all these jazzy rules himself and supplying the original OTT commentary (like a less moronic earlier version of Danny Morrison's T20 commentary). It pretty much worked too - was pretty popular in NZ in the late 90s and we even got international touring sides to play it.

Then it dies out in like 2003, and right at the same time someone in the UK decides to make a 20 over a side game which is just...a 20 over ODI with all of Crowe's other funky ideas removed. Basically no effort, no innovation, just a shorter game. And that **** takes off as if it's some brilliant new idea.

Honestly Cricket Max and T20 both suck but Crowe was legit ahead of his time.

Cricket Max owned hard though.

 

[Manju]

Not really unknown but he maximised NZ’s limited resources at the World Cup with new strategies such as opening the bowling with the spinner and opening the batting with pinch hitters which he basically invented, catching teams unaware. He then invented cricket max which paved the way for T20. His analysis and observations when it came to technique and methods etc was often top-drawer too. He was the one who dubbed Smith, Root, Kohli and Kane the ‘Fab Four’ too during the early stages of their careers.

Iam a beginner, so every information is new for me except that fab 4 concept. Thank you for the information bro

 

[Manju]

Always felt bad about how little credit he gets for Cricket Max. He basically pioneered modern short form cricket in 1996/97, including making all these jazzy rules himself and supplying the original OTT commentary (like a less moronic earlier version of Danny Morrison's T20 commentary). It pretty much worked too - was pretty popular in NZ in the late 90s and we even got international touring sides to play it.

Then it dies out in like 2003, and right at the same time someone in the UK decides to make a 20 over a side game which is just...a 20 over ODI with all of Crowe's other funky ideas removed. Basically no effort, no innovation, just a shorter game. And that **** takes off as if it's some brilliant new idea.

Honestly Cricket Max and T20 both suck but Crowe was legit ahead of his time.

Love to learn more about this legend. Thanks for ur thoughts

 

[Bahnz]

Always felt bad about how little credit he gets for Cricket Max. He basically pioneered modern short form cricket in 1996/97, including making all these jazzy rules himself and supplying the original OTT commentary (like a less moronic earlier version of Danny Morrison's T20 commentary). It pretty much worked too - was pretty popular in NZ in the late 90s and we even got international touring sides to play it.

Then it dies out in like 2003, and right at the same time someone in the UK decides to make a 20 over a side game which is just...a 20 over ODI with all of Crowe's other funky ideas removed. Basically no effort, no innovation, just a shorter game. And that **** takes off as if it's some brilliant new idea.

Honestly Cricket Max and T20 both suck but Crowe was legit ahead of his time.

Not quite all of them. No-ball free hits were pioneered in Max.

The Max zone (a part of the field directly behind the bowler weere runs scored count for double) was fun as a concept, but it just as often led to massive blow-outs as it enabled incredible comebacks, so I don't know if it actually added a whole lot.

 

[Athlai]

Max zone is a fun idea but needed refinining.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

The Max Zone should've been randomised after every ball, like a Wheel of Fortune.

 

[SteveNZ]

The thing that allowed Martin Crowe to be such a visionary is he was absolutely his own man, he didn't care to conform to what the common thinking or doing was. He had no real great interest in how people felt about his actions, he chose them as the ones he felt were the best to get the most out of himself or his team. Having read his first book, that was very much drummed into him by his old man and also passed onto his brother, Jeff.

Even when he was in his mid 40s and made a comeback, and everyone said he was an idiot and he'd never make it, he didn't care. He didn't see the world in limiting terms like others did. If there was a possibility he'd make it, he was all in.

Basically he acted how a lot of us would if we weren't constricted by people's opinions of us and how we would be perceived. Plus you know, if we were a cricketing genius. Or a Tortured Genius, as his book was called.

He not only revolutionised cricket with Cricket Max, he also moved SKY TV into a new era with Friday Night Cricket, which if I'm not mistaken then paved the way for Friday night rugby and that key timeslot on pay TV in NZ.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Cricket Max owned hard though.

Max Zone was brilliant

 

[Fuller Pilch]

He was also the perfect balance of grace and power at the crease - shots in the V and an amazing pull shot. With decent knees could've easily averaged 50+. Did well against the Windies quicks and mastered the 2Ws. Wasim says Crowe was the best batsman he ever bowled against.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Not really unknown but he maximised NZ’s limited resources at the World Cup with new strategies such as opening the bowling with the spinner and opening the batting with pinch hitters which he basically invented, catching teams unaware.

This was also due to the coach Warren Lees. Greatbatch didn't start the tournament (couldn't make the eleven), but came in as an opener when John Wright was injured.

 

[thierry henry]

Cricket Max owned hard though.

I remember going to an Auckland v Wellington game at Mt Smart Stadium. They played on an artificial pitch and as Mt Smart is a proper rectangular rugby/football stadium, the square boundaries were no more than about 40 metres each. Closest thing I've seen to a televised Senior C game.

 

[Bahnz]

This was also due to the coach Warren Lees. Greatbatch didn't start the tournament (couldn't make the eleven), but came in as an opener when John Wright was injured.

Haha, Ken Rutherford's bio is worth a quick peruse just to chuckle at his absurd saltiness towards Crowe. He basically says that Greatbatch's pinch hitting was a total fluke, that no one planned it, and when he started biffing the ball with impunity everyone in the dressing room was a bit shocked.

 

[honestbharani]

Haha, Ken Rutherford's bio is worth a quick peruse just to chuckle at his absurd saltiness towards Crowe. He basically says that Greatbatch's pinch hitting was a total fluke, that no one planned it, and when he started biffing the ball with impunity everyone in the dressing room was a bit shocked.

So you got your own Gambhir, big deal...

 

[Athlai]

Ken Rutherford, half as talented as Gambhir.