Inspirational Martin Crowe's eyes on Cricket World Cup

Martin Crowe has chosen to forgo further chemo in favour of natural treatments for his cancer. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Cancer-hit legend has poignant return to the middle

What cancer-stricken cricketing great Martin Crowe didn't say yesterday was as revealing as his words during a 25-minute media conference on Eden Park.

His most inspiring message came with shades of his proud batting swagger through the tunnel on to the ground and - after interviews organised as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup build-up - his saunter to the middle to face a battery of photographers.

The poignancy was obvious. You half expected him to look up, as was his custom, to adjust his eyes to the light. The ground was where he inspired a pitch invasion after late-cutting a single to make a century against Australia in the opening match of the 1992 World Cup and launch New Zealand on a trajectory to the semifinals.

Putting aside cricketing grandeur, Crowe's appearance was also that of a peaceful man with a wife and child who is fighting the onset of double-hit lymphoma.

Crowe says he has been sleeping 14-hours a day for the past three months but his energy is returning and he's exercising again. If he recovers it will be through unconventional means, having chosen natural remedies over further trips to the oncologist.

"The chemo is brutal and it was going to be a 100-day vigil so I thought it would be better if I just chilled at home and so far, so good. I just chose, having gone through it last year, that I would be better off without the side-effects ... No one knows what the outcome is, they don't give stats on doing it naturally.

"My great mate [former All Black] Grant Fox delivered me a box of TBL-12, a marine supplement mainly made up of sea cucumber from the Pacific Islands. I was intrigued to see his dog's follicular lymphoma cured by it so I've been on that for four months.

"I swam among the sea cucumbers when I went to Aitutaki a couple of weeks ago and it gave me my first burst of energy so I'm a believer." He also enjoyed a special time with cousin Russell Crowe over the New Year.

"He flew us to his farm [in Australia] ... [brother] Jeff was there and all the kids and cousins."

Crowe recovered from cancer in June 2013, but by September last year the disease had returned. Since then he had received feedback on his website and emails.

He encouraged people to get to the World Cup. "I'll be at the games here [at Eden Park]."