Cricket legend Shane Warne’s baggy green cap sells for record sum in bushfire victims fundraiser
Shane Warne will hand delivery his famous baggy green cap to the winner of the seven figure auction to raise funds for bushfire victims. And will buy the mystery bidder a beer to say thanks, too.
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UPDATE: Bidding for Shane Warne’s baggy green cap eclipsed the magic $1 million mark in a dramatic conclusion to the auction for the famous piece of headwear on Friday morning, with Warne admitting the final price went “way, way, way, beyond my expectations”.
With minutes left to go before the 10am deadline - extended by eight minutes with the bidding still live - a two way competition drove the final sale price to seven figures.
When the auction was closed ‘M.C. from Sydney’ had come out on top, with a final bid of $1,007,500.
“I am absolutely, totally blown away,” Warne told the Herald Sun.
“I’m like everyone else, I’m just trying to do my bit, and I was trying to think of something that would help out, hopefully raise a few bucks and we could help out the people that are really struggling.
“But to go for $1 million, it’s totally incredible, totally overwhelming.”
Thankyou so much to everyone that placed a bid & a huge Thankyou / congrats to the successful bidder - you have blown me away with your generosity and this was way beyond my expectations ! The money will go direct to the Red Cross bushfire appeal. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/vyVcA7NfGs
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 9, 2020
The legendary leg spinner made his treasured item available for auction in an incredible gesture to raise funds for the Bushfire Appeal, aiding those affected by the devastating fires across Australia, and was as gripped as everyone watching the bids go up and up as the deadline approached.
The identity of the successful bidder is as yet unknown. But when their identity is revealed they can expect the iconic piece of Australian sporting history to be hand delivered.
“I was watching the auction last night then fell asleep, then this morning I woke up early and was watching,” said Warne.
“So many people were ringing, the amount of ex-players and friends, just offering their support, it’s been amazing.
“I know there were a few different bidders and when I find out who bought it I’ll be making contact, we’ll go have a beer and I’ll present it to them, to say a massive thank you.”
The sale price makes Warne’s baggy green officially the most expensive piece of cricket memorabilia ever, passing one of Sir Donald Bradman’s own caps, sold for $425,000.
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“It means a hell of a lot to me, my baggy green, I cherish it and everything it stands for.
“I think it was a gesture from me to show how much the fires touched me and everyone around Australia. I thought it could raise a bit of money, make a difference. It’s going to help a lot of people who are in dire and desperate need.
“I have my memories, but I’d much rather give those people $1 million.”
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On Monday, interest in Warne’s baggy green cap being auctioned off for the bushfire appeal caused an online explosion, with the website for bidding crashing after just 15 minutes.
Former Test teammates and current Australian players who consider the famous cap to be part of their identity were in awe of the spin king’s extraordinary act of generosity, after he pledged to auction off one of his most prized possessions and donate the proceeds to the Red Cross.
One of the late Sir Donald Bradman’s baggy green caps once commanded $425,000 at a charity auction, but the cap 708-wicket legend Warne has pledged was the only one he wore during his glittering 145 match career.
Along with Bradman, Warne was voted one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century and the value of the cap belonging to one of Australian sport’s most iconic figures was summed up by the fact the website where bids can be made temporarily crashed at the sheer volume of fans rushing for a slice of history. Extra staff had to be put on at the auction company to handle the registrations.
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Warne gave thought to organising a charity match for the bushfire cause, but ultimately decided his iconic cap was a personal sacrifice he could make to help people who have had their lives torn apart.
Please bid here https://t.co/kZMhGkmcxs pic.twitter.com/ZhpeWQxqY7
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 6, 2020
“I thought, ‘what do I own that I think could get a significant amount of money?’ And the baggy green cap,” Warne told The Daily Telegraph.
“Even though I didn’t wear it religiously like everyone else (Warne often wore his floppy white hat), it still meant the same to me as everybody else.
“I will miss it.
“This was the one I wore the whole time and it’s sitting in my office.
“But I think it’s touched all of us these bushfires and the devastation it’s caused. It’s been horrific watching. Lives are lost, families have lost everything. There’s over 500 million animals that have died.
“I thought someone might get a lot of joy out of it and it can mean a significant amount of money can go to these people who are in dire need of help. I thought, why not, let’s do it.”
Test greats Michael Slater and Adam Gilchrist were among those to come up to Warne to congratulate him on a gesture that only a former Test player could appreciate the full magnitude of what it means.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan tried to get the ball rolling with a straight-up bid of $25,000, but that figure has now been dwarfed by subsequent bids.
HAVEN’T SIGNED UP FOR SUPERCOACH BBL? THERE’S STILL THOUSANDS TO BE WON!
Warne was often photographed in his floppy white hat, but the spin legend confirmed that he wore his baggy green in the first session of every bowling innings he ever played in Test cricket.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” he said.
“I think it shows how much it’s touched me like it has everybody else. It’s something that’s really important to me and something I cherish.”
Originally published as Cricket legend Shane Warne’s baggy green cap sells for record sum in bushfire victims fundraiser