In an incredible gesture, Australia’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker Shane Warne has come up with a generous donation to help those affected by the bushfires. The former Australia spin spearhead has incredibly put his beloved baggy green cap available for auction to raise funds for the Bushfire Appeal aiding those affected by the devastating fires across Australia.
Unsurprisingly, there was a huge demand for the baggy green as people attempted desperately to get the possession of the prized asset. Only 15 minutes after the auction site went live, the page crashed. Even former England skipper Michael Vaughan wanted it and bid an incredible 25,000 Australian dollars which is roughly around 12 lakh in INR.
“The horrific bushfires in Australia have left us all in disbelief,” Warne said in a statement he posted on Twitter.
“The impact these devastating fires are having on so many people is unthinkable and has touched us all. Lives have been lost, homes have been destroyed and over 500 million animals have died too.
“Everyone is in this together and we continue to find ways to contribute and help on a daily basis.
“This has lead me to auction of my beloved baggy green cap (350) that I wore throughout my Test career (when I wasn’t wearing my white floppy hat). I hope my baggy green can raise some significant funds to help all those people that are in desperate need,” he added.
Please bid here https://t.co/kZMhGkmcxs pic.twitter.com/ZhpeWQxqY7
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 6, 2020
Given Shane Warne’s stature in the game, the fans started bidding for the baggy green as soon as it became available. Michael Vaughan, on the other hand, did not even wait to open the website and revealed his bid on Twitter itself.
This is incredible .. My bid is 25k Aussie Dollars .. ? https://t.co/ByOkzJDkGO
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 6, 2020
Meanwhile, the highest bidder will also get an autographed certificate of authenticity from Shane Warne and 100 per cent of proceeds from the online auction will be donated to the Bushfire Appeal.
Twitter hails Shane Warne:
As soon as Shane Warne announced his incredible gesture, Twitter jumped in action to lavish praise on him.
Here are some of the reactions:
Wow. I know what that baggy green means to Warnie. Amazing gesture. Please bid generously. ?? https://t.co/olmfWEsbJN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 6, 2020
Incredible gesture from Shane Warne who is set to auction off his famous baggy green cap for bushfire appeal. Bradman's cap pulled $420,000 at auction years ago … what's possible for the King of Spin? @NewsCorpCricket https://t.co/bdFGEsh8UG
— Ben Horne (@BenHorne8) January 6, 2020
i cannot overstate the importance of a cricketer’s baggy green – especially shane warne. the greatest spin bowler in history. the hat is a sign of you representing your country, and he’s selling his off to help our firies. it’s at 40k already. you’re a legend warnie ❤️ https://t.co/tPLR9eyOmH
— brooke // evie (@maybe_brooke) January 6, 2020
Truly amazing – #ShaneWarne is auctioning off his genuine match #baggygreen to raise funds for #bushfirevictims. https://t.co/FDOFRA76ST
— Hugh Riminton (@hughriminton) January 6, 2020