McKechnie will wear his old uniform when he plays in the annual BrainTree charity golf tournament at the Clearwater golf course in Christchurch.
McKechnie is one of the 36 sporting stars taking part in the Golfing with the Stars tournament on Friday, November 7. There will be 180 people playing in the tournament, which is now in its fifth year.
"The outfit McKechnie wore on February 1, 1981, when he faced an underarm delivery from Australian bowler Trevor Chappell is a very special piece of New Zealand sporting memorabilia," tournament organiser Michelle Morrow said.
"It has been owned for some years by David Skeggs of Arrowtown, who supports BrainTree, and he has generously donated it for our auction."
It will be McKechnie's third BrainTree tournament.
Big-hitting McKechnie had the chance to hit a 6 off the final delivery of the game and tie the third match of the 1981 World Series Cup against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Gound. But it turned out to be one of the most controversial incidents in the history of international cricket.
Australian captain Greg Chappell instructed his younger brother Trevor to bowl underarm.
With Chappell’s ball being a lame roll along the ground, McKechnie’s only option was to play defensively, meaning Australia won.
The action created worldwide outrage, with critics like Australian great Richie Benaud describing the act as disgraceful and then Prime Minister Robert Muldoon calling it "the most disgusting incident he could recall in the history of cricket and an act of true cowardice".
Said Morrow: "We would love to see the outfit go to a museum that would display it for all to see or to a sports enthusiast who recognises the significance of this event in cricketing history."
Olympians will also turn out in force, including 2024 Paris Olympics high jump gold medallist and gold medallist Hamish Kerr, Olympic rower and gold medallist Eric Murray and swimmer Moss Burmester.
Other confirmed sportspeople lining up include rugby players Willi Heinz, Rob Penny, Christian Cullen, Taine Randell, Andy Ellis, Ben Blair, Colin Slade, last year’s winner Israel Dagg, Graeme Bachop, and Casey Laulala, as well as rugby league’s Mark Graham, Joe Vagana and Julian O’Neil, and football’s Alan Stroud and Wynton Rufer.
The field will include media personalities Peter Williams, Chris Bond (Bondy), and rock star Jordan Luck, who had enough energy after a round of golf to deliver an impromptu performance at the post-tournament function last year.
Said Morrow: "Hands down it is now the biggest charity golf event in New Zealand, and by some distance.
"We again have a waiting list of both stars and players wanting to be part of the tournament where all funds raised go to BrainTree, the first wellness centre of its kind in the country to support people with neurological conditions.
"Golfing with the Stars is the highest earning charity golf tournament in New Zealand and is our non-core revenue generator.
"Last year we broke all records raising more than $334,000, a whopping six times the $53,000 raised at our inaugural tournament five years ago. I suspect we may have delivered a result that is hard to beat, but who knows."
Funds from past tournaments went into building the $8.1 million BrainTree centre, which opened in July 2022, and services for those with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia and stroke victims.
"The event is hugely important to us given we do not receive any central government funding and instead rely on events such as our golf tournament to keep the organisation running," Morrow says.
-Allied Media
