Martin Crowe, a cricketer of prodigious talent who made batting appear effortless while secretly struggling with the burden of being a world-class player in otherwise modest New Zealand teams, died of cancer on Thursday (3rd March).

SOUNDBITE: (English) David White, New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive:

"He was one of the best, you know, outstanding cricketer, very competitive, and a very good person so he is going to be hugely missed by all really."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Grant Fox, Former All Blacks Rugby Player:

"He was in the first 11 and dominating there, you know, at a very young age. I mean it was clear to all of us who saw that, you know, there was a cricketing genius in the making right then and there."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Grant Fox, Former All Blacks Rugby Player:

"He as the best batsman this country has ever produced, he was technically the best batsman and that's I think his mark of separation from a lot of his peers."

SOUNDBITE: (English) John Key, New Zealand Prime Minister:

"But most of all actually people's hearts were touched by the battle that Martin Crowe had with leukemia, his burning desire to be there at the first game of the Cricket World Cup that was hosted in New Zealand and Australia last year, and of course our great sympathies go to Lorraine and his children."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Harris, Friend and Former New Zealand Cricketer:

"At 53 it's just way too young and obviously not only the cricket community is devastated, but you know my family are as well because they go to know him and it's just a very, very sad day."