- Missing caps were recovered at the team hotel
- It remains unclear where they were before they were found
- Expert reckons it would be foolish to steal them for a good reason
If somebody did steal David Warner’s prized Baggy Green Test cricket caps, they would have had next to no chance of making any money off them, a leading expert has revealed.
The drama surrounding the Test retirement of the Aussie opener was ratcheted up several notches this week when he claimed his Baggy Green caps were pinched.
Warner has two Baggy Greens because he was given a replacement on the tour of Bangladesh in 2017 because he lost his original, before it was later found.
He claimed they went missing en route to Sydney from Melbourne after he and the rest of he team flew with Qantas, appealing to the airline for help.
Warner’s two Baggy Green caps were in a backpack that the Aussie opener said went missing as the Australian team went from Melbourne to Sydney
Warner (pictured with his daughters) has two Baggy Green caps because he lost one during the 2017 tour of Bangladesh and had it replaced before it was found
Warner took to social media today to reveal the backpack containing the two caps had been located, but did not disclose the specifics.
‘I’m pleased and relieved that I have got my baggy (green cap) back in my hands,’ he said.
‘Any cricketer knows how special their cap is and I’ll cherish this for the rest of my life.
‘Very grateful to all those involved in locating it: the Qantas team, the freight company, the hotel and our own team management.
‘It’s a load of my shoulders … I really appreciate it, so thank you all.’
Cricket Australia said the backpack mysteriously reappeared.
‘The bag in which they were packed was found at the team hotel [in Sydney], with all the contents inside,’ CA said in a statement.
‘The movements of the missing bag are unknown despite extensive searches and the review of CCTV footage at multiple locations and the efforts of numerous parties since Tuesday.’
CA chief executive Nick Hockley said it was a ‘huge relief’.
Sports memorabilia expert Michael Fahey said the caps could be valued at up to $40,000 each, but would be extremely hard to sell because no modern Test player had ever sold their prized headgear.
The only modern Test player to sell their Baggy Green was Shane Warne, who did it publicly for the Bushfire Appeal in 2020 (pictured)
Some cricket fans believe Warner’s backpack was simply misplaced and he doesn’t want to admit that the caps went missing because of a simple mistake
The only notable exception was when Shane Warne sold his Baggy Green for $1million to raise funds for the bushfire appeal in 2020.
‘I’m not across the condition of both of [Warner’s caps] but the rough value of his battered cap would be between $20,000-$40,000,’ Fahey told News Corp.
‘The cap[s] are indeed worthless or would be sold for next to nothing given the publicity.
‘It’s not a really well thought out crime, if that’s what it was. I’m just glad they are back in David’s possession. The baggy green is a big part of an Australian cricketer’s career.’
The mysterious nature of both the disappearance and re-emergence of the Test caps has led many cricket fans to speculate.
Some believe that Warner simply misplaced the backpack but was sticking to his original story to save face.
‘I’m convinced it was just sitting at the bottom of his luggage and Candy found it yesterday and they’re going along with the lie to save face,’ one fan posted.
‘I guarantee there was no big scandal in regards to the cap. Either he misplaced it himself or a team official or teammate took it for s***s and giggles and to have a laugh and now they’re just keeping the stolen narrative,’ added another.
Others think it was a PR exercise to get more eyes on Warner’s public retirement match, one fan posting: ‘I remember hearing players say they carry them in their carry on bags to avoid losing them. Publicity stunt for sure’.
