Former New Zealand cricket captain Martin Crowe's dreams of a first-class comeback have been halted by injury.
Sixteen years after a chronic knee injury forced his retirement, Crowe's plans of again playing for Auckland and topping 20,000 first-class runs were brought to an abrupt halt early in his innings for Cornwall against Parnell in Auckland premier grade cricket on Saturday.
Crowe, 49, made his return for Cornwall in Auckland's premier reserve grade two weeks ago, and was dismissed for 15.
Moving up to premier grade on Saturday, Crowe faced only three balls before pulling a thigh muscle running a single.
"I said from the start it would end in tears with an injury," Crowe said in an email to major news outlets early on Sunday morning.
"I pulled a hip flexor in July, a hamstring in August, a groin in October and now a thigh - all upper left leg, all compensating for a dodgy arthritic right knee."
Crowe played 77 Tests and 143 one-day internationals for New Zealand in a 14-year career which began with his debut against Australia in 1982 and ended in 1995 against India.
He knocked up 17 Test hundreds and averaged 45.36, and scored 19,608 first class runs in 247 matches.
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