English cricketers pledge donation for Pakistan’s flood-hit victims

KARACHI: Jos Buttler, the captain of England’s cricket team, on Thursday pledged to separately donate to families hit by the recent devastating floods in Pakistan.

Following the team’s arrival in Pakistan for the upcoming T20I series, the English captain said that the team’s thoughts are with the families affected by the catastrophic flooding.

"Pakistan suffered floods and we can feel their pain. We are happy to be here for cricket in this tough time. As a team, we will make donations which will be matched by the ECB to make a little effort from our side," Buttler said.

Later, the English Cricket Board (ECB) clarified how the donations would be made for the flood-hit population, stating that the decision to donate was made by the players and has been supported by Team England Player Partnership (TEPP) and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).

“The money will go to the DEC emergency appeal, and we would all encourage anyone who is able to support this cause to do so. The ECB has been happy to match the player’s donation,” the board said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with all those who’ve been affected by these devastating floods in Pakistan. We hope that this series can help keep the world’s spotlight on what has happened and encourage people in the UK and around the world to help those affected in whatever way they can. In support of the humanitarian relief effort, the England Men’s team has decided to make a contribution to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, and the ECB will also be matching this donation,” an ECB spokesperson said.