World Cup Final, Australia vs New Zealand: Terminally Ill Martin Crowe Braced for 'Last' Match

Terminally ill Martin Crowe admits that Sunday's World Cup final between his beloved New Zealand and Australia could be the last game he'll ever see. Australia beat New Zealand by 7 wickets to win their fifth World Cup. (Complete coverage of World Cup 2015)

Known as one of the game's most stylish batsmen, the 52-year-old Crowe has been battling a rare blood disease, double-hit lymphoma. (Must read: Michael Clarke to quit ODIs after World Cup final)

"My precarious life ahead may not afford me the luxury of many more games to watch and enjoy. So this is likely to be it. The last, maybe, and I can happily live with that," Crowe had written in his column on www.espncricinfo.com.(Aussies Win 5th World Cup Title)

"I will hold back tears all day long. I will gasp for air on occasions. I will feel like a nervous parent."

Crowe played in 77 Tests, averaged 45.36 and scored 16 centuries which still stands as a New Zealand record.

His highest score of 299 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington against Sri Lanka in 1991 stood as a New Zealand best until McCullum scored 302 against India on the same ground last year.

McCullum said he had read Crowe's article and revealed how the former captain, whose team lost to Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup semi-finals in Auckland, had been involved in preparing the current squad for the tournament.

"We had him involved in the group, and not long ago he came and spent time with the team and it was great," the captain said.

"He has been instrumental in helping some of our guys on the team peel back their games and really focus on being able to develop individually but also buy into the team collectively.

"He's been a really big asset. I think what he's going through at the moment is incredibly difficult. We just hope that he's able to find some peace in the time that he's got left."