AFP: Speculation grows about M.Crowe's future (03 Feb 95)

Speculation grows about once mighty Martin Crowe's future.

The once mighty bat of New Zealand`s Martin Crowe was absent from the first test with the West Indies in Christchurch Friday, reviving speculation about his future.

Crowe, the most successful batsman produced by New Zealand and regarded internationally as one of the best players in the game, is nursing a recurring knee injury which flared up in South Africa.

Dropped as captain two years ago, Crowe continues to be the star. He only plays on his own terms and last year refused to play in India with the New Zealand team and instead joined his teammates in South Africa.

Writing in the monthly Metro magazine Warwick Roger suggested there was a problem with "psychological mumbo jumbo" in Crowe`s head.

The magazine said Crowe had long been subjected to rumours about his private life, partly as a result of his first manager being a well-known gay music manager.

When Crowe contracted salmonella in Sri Lanka in 1984 he took years to recover, preferring homeopathic treatment which left his skin looking very grey. He strongly denied media rumours about his health and a possible divorce from his wife Simone.

Crowe told Metro he regarded himself as a complex character.

"There are two extremes in my character," Crowe said. "One is the fact that I very much want to be liked, loved and adored. I hate rejection. An extension of that is that I`m not great on understanding or wanting to listen to criticism, particularly if it`s not constructive. At the other end of the scale is a fierce single-mindedness and determination to do what I have to do, and bugger everyone else. My complexity lies in a mixture of these two extremes."

Morrison said the New Zealand public saw Crowe as a prima donna.

"He doesn`t understand the public. He says, `I`m a great bat; why don`t you love me.` The trouble is, no one has ever been able to explain it to Martin. As soon as you get into a debate with him, he says you`re knocking him."

Crowe told Metro he was likely to give up cricket after May 1996`s World Cup.

Source :: Agence France Presse