The 'Baggy Green' cap that former Australian spinner Shane Warne put up for auction for donating the amount to the bushfire relief fund, has crossed $850,000. (More Cricket News)
With Australia reeling amid the devastating fires, Warne – arguably the greatest spinner of all-time and Australia's most prolific bowler – joined the fight in a stunning gesture. The bidding war went through the roof and bids reached $275,000 in just two hours.
At the time of publishing the report, the cap has already fetched $860,500, to become the most valuable cricket memorabilia. The previous high was Don Bradman's 'Baggy Green' worn by in his last Test – which went for $425,000 in 2003.
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While announcing the donation, Warne, who is second on the all-time list for Test wickets with 708, wrote via Instagram: "The horrific bushfires in Australia have left us all in disbelief. 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 led me to auction off 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.
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"Please go to the link in my bio and make a bid & help me to donate a big cheque! Thank you so much [heart emoji] #australianbushfires."
Along with Warne, former Australian pacer Jeff Thompson has also put his cap for auction.
"It is hard to say what these pieces may go for. But I just hope that they can raise some decent funds that will really make a difference for all of those in need right now," cricket.com.au quoted Thompson as saying.
Australian players Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell and D'Arcy Short have already announced that they will donate AUD 250 each for every six they hit in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) to support the bushfire victims.
Athletes from other sports too joined the movement as tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic decided to donate 25,000 dollars each for Australia's bushfire relief fund.
Wildfires have been raging across Australia for months, killing 23 people, burning about 6 million hectares (23,000 square miles) of bushland and killing a billion animals.
Naval and air rescue operations were launched last week as mass evacuations of towns at risk of being engulfed by flames got underway.
