Former New Zealand pacer Iain O’Brien’s campaign to raise money for booking his tickets back to the United Kingdom through social media paid off on Friday.

O’Brien had to turn to crowdfunding to book flight tickets to UK from New Zealand as his travel plans were repeatedly affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

O’Brien, who was in New Zealand to deal with a personal issue, had earlier said that he is worried about his wife’s health as she has a lung condition, which puts her at great risk in the rapidly-spreading virus.

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“I woke up this morning, maybe for the third or fourth time in my life I cried before I got out of bed,” O’Brien said. “I thank you all so much for your contributions. It’s completely oxymoron, but I’m speechless and I really don’t know what to say. I’m just so grateful…thank you and my wife thanks you.”

Cricket website ESPNCricinfo reported that O’Brien was aiming to buy a ticket costing £2,250 and leaving New Zealand on April 5 and the fund-raising initiative succeeded.

O’Brien played 22 Tests, 10 ODIs and four T20Is for New Zealand but now lives with his wife Rosie and two kids in the UK.

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UK has more than 11,000 coronavirus cases. More than 500 people have died of the Covid-19 disease in the country. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that he had tested positive.

O’Brien’s desperation was made worse by his wife’s health.

“The big bit for me is my wife has a lung condition where if she gets any sort of chest infection it can take time off her life,” O’Brien was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz after his third attempt to return to UK was met with another cancellation.

“This virus could kill her. With a couple of kids for her to deal with, and her mum is 80, there’s a fair bit on her plate at the moment. I would be kind of keen to take some of that stress off her but I think I’m just adding to it at the moment,” he added.