Henry Nicholls to donate his World Cup t-shirt to help Coronavirus victims

Wellington, May 2: New Zealand batsman Henry Nicholls has decided to donate the shirt he wore in the World Cup final last year to help the families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicholls will be donating the jersey to Unicef New Zealand.

"NZ Cricketer @HenryNicholls27 Cricket bat and offered up one of his prized 2019 Cricket World Cup jerseys, signed by the whole team! One lucky donor who has supported our #FoodForKiwiFamilies appeal will receive it. You've got to be in it, to win it so donate now!" Unicef tweeted.

The black coloured short-sleeved jersey, which Nicholls wore during the summit clash at the Lord's where England defeated New Zealand in the nerve-wracking final on the boundary count back rule after the super over also ended in a tie, is signed by all members of the squad.

"Since the start of lockdown, it's more than tripled the demand for food parcels throughout New Zealand,'' Nicholls told Stuff.co.nz. "That was something that really sparked my interest and from my point of view, everything that happened at the World Cup last year, that's a pretty memorable experience. I thought I could put that shirt up as a bit of an incentive for people to donate."

Unicef New Zealand is focusing humanitarian efforts on Kiwi children and families and has partnered with the Salvation Army and Countdown to provide urgent food and hygiene supplies across the country.

"For me I wanted to go away from the auction sort of thing, where the highest bidder wins it. I wanted to make it a bit more inclusive and anyone can donate five or 10 dollars and go into the draw to win it," said Nicholls, who top-scored for New Zealand in the final, hitting 55.

"It all adds up. A lot of families and everyone in New Zealand is really feeling the pinch. It's a small little thing and hopefully it can make a big difference."

Cricketers have been doing their bit to help the needy in the ongoing crisis. India skipper Virat Kohli and former South African batsman AB De Villiers put their kits from the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Gujarat Lions on auction to aid the battle against coronavirus. While England-wicketkeeper Jos Buttler raised 65,000 pounds by auction his World Cup final shirt.