INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Australian cricket legend Shane Warne has put his beloved baggy green cap up for auction to raise money for those affected by the
devastating bushfires sweeping across his home country.The 50-year-old wore the famous headgear throughout his memorable international Test
career, in which he took a whopping 708 wickets in 145 matches between 1992 and his retirement in 2007.Warne said he hoped the cap would
raise "some significant funds to help all those people that are in desperate need", with the fires having destroyed thousands of homes and
left 24 dead."The horrific bushfires in Australia have left us all in disbelief," said Warne."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."Warne has put the cap up for auction on the
Australian marketplace website Pickles, which crashed soon after he announced the listing on Twitter.Former England captain Michael Vaughan
has bid A$25,000 (£13,264), but offers are being accepted until Friday.All funds raised by the auction will be donated to the Australian
Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.Warne added: "Everyone is in this together and we continue to find ways to contribute and help
on a daily basis."Livestock killed trying to escape bushfiresSeveral other famous Australians have been raising money to help those
affected, with tennis star Nick Kyrgios, actress Nicole Kidman and singer Keith Urban among those who have pledged funds.Comedian Celeste
Barber has amassed more than A$28m (£15m) for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service after launching a fundraiser, with her millions of
social media followers contributing to the huge total.New Zealander Russell Crowe has spent most of his life in Australia and skipped the
Golden Globes - where he won an award - to help his family and others affected by the fires.Stars from other parts of the world have also
donated to support the fire services battling the flames, including the US pop stars Selena Gomez and Pink - the latter has pledged $500,000
(£382,250).Image:Thousands of homes have been destroyed in the bushfiresWarne will be hoping his baggy green cap - given to Test players to
mark their international debut - will amass a similarly impressive total, with the late Don Bradman's having fetched A$425,000 (£225,444)
in 2003.Bradman played for Australia from 1928 to 1948 and is widely considered to be the best batsman of all time.
