Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) pacer Jason Behrendorff announced on Twitter today that he was making a donation to the UNICEF Project for the India COVID-19 Crisis. The left-arm pace bowler penned down an open letter where he conveyed his thoughts on the current situation due to the pandemic in India and about his decision to make a donation. Behrendorff follows Australian team-mate Pat Cummins, who recently announced a donation towards the pandemic-induced crisis in India.
"Like most cricketers, India has been a special place to me. It's a beautiful country, the people are welcoming and playing cricket in India is like no other experience in the world. It is never lost on me how privileged I am to be able to play cricket for a living and to travel to such countries like India, no more so than in the past 16 months," Behrendorff wrote in a statement.
"It's really horrific and distressing seeing what is happening at the moment here and knowing there isn't much I can do. My thoughts are never far from those here in India who are being affected by the virus. I can't imagine what you are going through," he added.
"I wanted to do something to help and am making a donation to the UNICEF project for the India Covid-19 crisis. I encourage anyone who has also experienced the generous hospitality of India to do the same," he wrote.
"I know it's only a small amount, it could never match the love and friendship India has shown myself and my family over the years but I hope it can make the slightest difference," Behrendorff concluded.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL governing council suspended this year's tournament on May 4 due to the rising cases among players as well as the support staff in several teams.