Cricket: Crowe return right on track

Martin Crowe is practising religiously in a bid to return to first-class cricket. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Martin Crowe cricketing renaissance is coming to a ground near you this summer.

Whether it's the cover drive, the pull or the drop-kick over midwicket, Crowe's precise technique and sweet timing remain if a recent net session is any guide.

The question is: can he produce this at the pinnacle of club cricket and represent Auckland again at first-class level?

Crowe turns 49 this week. It will already be a remarkable return if - as expected - he is named in the Cornwall premier two-day side next month.

"I'm on track, religiously practising at the Papatoetoe indoor nets and at Cornwall," Crowe says.

"The skills sessions are going great. I've been working through a few niggles with my hip flexor and hamstrings but apart from that, I'm fine.

"I'm not due to play until November [when two-day club cricket begins].

"As tempting as it may be, I won't play 50-over cricket; that's a young man's game.

"I'll be in the longer format and hopefully fielding in the slips or gully. I'm looking to build an innings."

Cornwall club manager Steve Dally says Crowe's return has already made an impact.

"He's been training with the boys, has fitted in well and has worked hard to lift his fitness. The interest level has been huge; I'm getting phone calls monitoring his progress from as far away as India, Pakistan or England almost daily.

"The attitude from players has also been positive. Martin even sent out an email to all the players explaining why he was there, the reasons he was doing it and what he hoped to achieve.

"You can't wipe the smile off some players' faces in the nets. He has often spent half an hour at a time with them. It's hard to buy that sort of engagement."

Auckland first-class bowler Gareth Shaw is one of those likely to be running in against Crowe in the top tier of the club competition for Papatoetoe. Shaw was born the day after Crowe played his first one-day international for New Zealand against Australia on February 13, 1982, at Eden Park.

"You pretended to be him in the backyard, but having said that, I'm looking forward to trying to get him out.

"A lot of our club bowlers have enjoyed bowling to a test player of that ilk. I've had one bowl at him on a promotional day but I'm looking forward to doing it again in the two-day competition."

Shaw says not everyone will be in awe: "Papatoetoe has a big Indian base where Tendulkar is god and interestingly enough a lot of guys don't know who he [Crowe] is.

"That's understandable if New Zealand cricket history is not your forte.

"But, rest assured, when he goes out to bat, there will a mark on his head and you could see a few bouncers. Martin Crowe's wicket is still something to be treasured."

Crowe will devote more time to his cricket at the end of next month when the workload from his role as executive producer for Sky Sport's Rugby Channel reduces after the World Cup.

His aims are to reach 20,000 first-class runs and 250 first class games. He currently sits on 247 games and 19,608 runs.