New Zealand cricketing great Martin Crowe says natural remedies have given him an influx of energy as he looks ahead to next month’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Crowe was first diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in October 2012, but a course of chemotherapy appeared to have held it at bay until last September when the cancer returned.

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.

Speaking to media at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday and tipping a New Zealand-South Africa final for the World Cup, Crowe said he had been “down and out”, sleeping up to 14 hours a day for the last three months.

“But the energy’s returning, I’ve had a good couple of weeks, and started with exercise which is encouraging.”

Crowe said he had opted not to continue with chemotherapy.

“Chemo’s brutal – it was going to be a hundred-day long vigil, so I thought I would be better off if I just chilled out at home.

“I just chose that having gone through it last year, I’d be better off without the side effects.”

Instead, Crowe said he was using natural remedies, including a marine supplement made mainly of sea cucumber which former All Blacks first five-eighth Grant Fox – an old friend – had given him.

“We’re just trying things that will boost my immune system, that will stave off any more of the double hit.

“I’m standing here at the moment – I didn’t necessarily think I’d get through to the end of 2014, but I’m here.”

Removing the prognosis from his thinking had been difficult, Crowe said, but it was an important part of managing the illness.

“The top two inches is probably the most important, but I’m trying things that are hopefully going to break the mould of the double-hit prognosis.”

Crowe said his diagnosis had helped him realise what was important in life.

“The main thing is the love I have for the people around me, and I only really focus on compassion and forgiveness because that’s the only way and I didn’t used to do that at all.

“I took too long to grow up, and now I’ve got that perspective on what my life should be about I’ve probably never been happier.”