After Australian opener David Warner made a passionate plea for his lost baggy green hat for his last Test, the famous headgear was found in a luggage at the team hotel in Sydney.
After the second Test match against Pakistan, the 37-year-old Warner’s backpack vanished on the journey from Melbourne to his hometown, and on Wednesday, the first day of the Third Test, he had to wear a substitute on the field.
Warner said on Instagram on Friday, “I am very pleased and relieved that I have got my baggy back in my hands.”
“Any cricket player understands the significance of their hat, and I will treasure this for the rest of my life.
“I’m very grateful to all those involved in locating it … it’s a load off my shoulders going into the last couple of days.”
Warner, who scored 34 in Australia’s first innings on Thursday, will likely get another opportunity to bat in his 112th and last Test at his home ground of Sydney Cricket Ground in the coming days.
On the morning of their Test debut, Australian international players receive the baggy green cap—typically from a previous player—and wear it with pride, despite the fact that it will eventually fall off throughout their career.
Australian cricket legend Shane Warne’s baggy green hat went for A$1,007,500 ($675,528) during an auction in January 2020.
Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, was one of the people who backed Warner’s request to have the backpack returned.
“It’s a good thing that Dave Warner has his baggy green back,” Albanese said at Friday’s press conference.
“We understand that this is something that must be earned; it cannot be purchased at a store. David Warner deserves to wear it and represent Australia in 100 Test matches.”