Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has joined the chorus of condolences expressed for Martin Crowe, who passed away at the age of 53 on Thursday, saying that 'it is hard to imagine a New Zealand cricket landscape' without the legendary cricketer.
McCullum, who retired from all forms of cricket last month, said that Crowe was a staunch supporter of the aggressive brand of cricket that the current squad played under his leadership, Stuff.co.nz reported.
The explosive batsman further said that Crowe always encouraged the current side to 'go higher, further, faster, adding that the stalwart's open support had given the Kiwi side a lot of confidence.
Crowe, who led New Zealand to the semi-finals of the 1992 World Cup, had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in October 2012 and underwent treatment for the cancer but it returned two years later.
Doctors identified his condition as double-hit lymphoma, a rare and aggressive blood disease. Only five per cent of those diagnosed with it live for longer than 12 months.
Crowe scored 5444 runs at an average of 45.36 in his 77 Tests before calling curtains on his international career in 1995. He had 17 centuries under his belt in the longer-format of the game, the most by a New Zealand cricketer.