His most inspiring message came with shades of his proud batting swagger through the tunnel on to the ground and -- after interviews organised as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup build-up -- his saunter to the middle to face a battery of photographers.
The poignancy was obvious. You half expected him to look up and, as was his custom, to adjust his eyes to the light. The ground was where he inspired a pitch invasion after making a century against Australia in the opening match of the 1992 World Cup and launching New Zealand on a trajectory to the semifinals.
The 52-year-old's appearance was also that of a peaceful husband and father fighting the onset of double-hit lymphoma.
"I didn't necessarily think I would get through to the end of 2014," he said.
He has been sleeping 14 hours a day for three months but his energy is returning and he's exercising again. If he recovers it will be through unconventional means, having chosen natural remedies over further trips to the oncologist.
"The chemo is brutal and it was going to be a 100-day vigil so I thought it would be better if I just chilled at home and so far, so good. I just chose, having gone through it last year, that I would be better off without the side-effects ... No one knows what the outcome is, they don't give stats on doing it naturally.
"My great mate [former All Black] Grant Fox delivered me a box of TBL-12, a marine supplement mainly made up of sea cucumber from the Pacific Islands. I was intrigued to see his dog's follicular lymphoma cured by it so I've been on that for four months. I swam among the sea cucumbers when I went to Aitutaki a couple of weeks ago and it gave me my first burst of energy so I'm a believer."
He also enjoyed time with cousin Russell Crowe over the New Year. "He flew us to his farm [in Australia] ... [brother] Jeff was there and all the kids and cousins."
Crowe -- who plans to attend all the World Cup matches at Eden Park -- said his toughest challenge has been "removing the prognosis from my head".
"I don't have any fears or doubts. I have contemplated the worst scenario but that's only because you've got to do some planning to alleviate concerns for others later."
By Andrew Alderson of the Herald on Sunday
