Nature lovers around the world have tirelessly raising concerns and working towards countering the devastating bushfire that has caused massive damage to the wildlife in Australia. Sportspersons have raised their voices in favour of raising concern for the calamity. Ealier, we saw the Australian legend Shane Warne pledging to sell his ‘Baggy Green’ test cap to donate as relief fund. Now, the iconic spinner has decided to come out of retirement to play for a fundraising charity game, and his former Aussie teammates have decided to join him for the noble cause.
Along with Shane Warne, the other eminent present and former players of Australian cricket who will break their decamp are- Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke and Alex Blackwell.
Around 800 million to one billion of animals have been killed in the wildfire that started back in July 2019, and around 27 people have died, including the firefighters.
Before the final match of the KFC Big Bash League, which is scheduled on 8th February, the star studded match named the ‘Bushfire Cricket Bash’ will be played on the same day, with Warne and Ponting captaining the two teams.
Kevin Roberts, the CEO of Cricket Australia, spoke to cricket.com.au on the fundraising match “The Bushfire Cricket Bash will be Cricket Australia’s major fundraising initiative to support Australians impacted by the recent unprecedented bushfire emergency.”
8th February will prove to be a busy day for CA, as along with the ‘Bushfire Cricket Bash’ match and Big Bash League final, the 5th T20 match of the 2020 Australia women’s Tri-Nation Series will also be held on the same day. However, the funds from all three matches will be used as relief funds for the bushfire.
Roberts continued: “People the world over have seen the overwhelming images of hundreds of thousands of hectares burnt, precious lives lost, hundreds of properties destroyed and the devastating loss of wildlife as a result of the fires.”
“These images have reinforced the need to get behind organisations like the Australian Red Cross which is responding to the immediate requirements of people who have lost loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods” he added.
Also read-
Classy Shane Warne raises $1 Million for Australian bushfire crisis by auctioning his test cap
Yuvraj Singh issues plea for Australian bushfire crisis; over 480 million animals affected
