JOS PUTS SHIRT ON NHS
World Cup hero helps raise thousands for medical equipment
JOS BUTTLER has revealed his delight that the shirt in which he took off the bails to win the World Cup will pay for life-saving medical equipment.
And he has confirmed that he not only wore the shirt for the most iconic moment in World Cup history as he ran out Martin Guptill at the end of the Super Over, but it remained on his back throughout the entire celebrations until 7am the next day.
Buttler says the signatures of his team-mates on the front, not to mention the smell, gives it provenance and the Royal Brompton Hospital, where his wife Louise’s aunt is head of paediatrics, is set to receive the much-needed support.
There are still a few hours left in the auction on eBay, but already the total has surpassed the £62,000 required to purchase an ECMO machine that can do the work of the heart and lungs for critical patients.
“I batted in a shortsleeved shirt but I fielded in a long-sleeved one. So the 50 overs of fielding and the Super Over – that’s the shirt,” said Buttler. “And it smells pretty authentic.
“I probably took it off about seven o’clock the next morning.
“Last summer and the year before we’d been into the hospital to see my wife’s auntie and the work she does, and after the outbreak she told us about the emergency appeal the hospital had started. They were looking to raise £100,000 to buy emergency equipment.
“I said we could auction my World Cup shirt to raise some money for that, and already it is an amazing amount of money.
“It’s a very special shirt but I think it takes on extra meaning with it being able to go to one of only five ECMO centres in the UK. It’s a big thing for them.”
Buttler’s generosity is in keeping with other acts of kindness from our nation’s sporting heroes, such as the £500,000 donation from all the centrally-contracted players that they want to see put towards grassroots and disability cricket.
There have been others too, such as the contributions towards free school meals by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, which begs the question why do sports stars get singled out as if they are the only well-remunerated members of the workforce?
“I don’t know if other business leaders or wealthy businessmen have been getting as much attention,” added Buttler.
“What’s hard for sports people is that people are trying to make the right decisions and I’m sure lots of people are trying to do the right things.
“No one has ever been in this situation before. It’s new for everyone. So, for some people, it can be unfair at times.”
●BIDS on Jos Buttler’s World Cup final shirt can be made on ebay.co.uk until 7.30pm tonight.