The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of David Warner’s “missing” baggy greens has been solved – or has it?
The retiring batsman sparked an intensive manhunt, and national discussion, after he appealed for the return of his prized baggy greens on the eve of his last Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Australia opener posted a heartfelt video on Instagram to say that his backpack had been lost in transit between the second Test in Melbourne and the team arriving in Sydney.
The Pakistani captain called for the best of detectives to be brought in to get the well-worn cap back. Even prime minister Anthony Albanese joined Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley in appealing for members of the public to come forward as desperate searches of baggage and CCTV footage were conducted in the lead-up to day one of the test.
But, then came a breakthrough.
Cricket Australia said: “David Warner’s missing baggy greens have been located. The bag in which they were packed was found at the team hotel, with all the contents inside.”
It said the backpack had been packed in a “half coffin” cricket bag, used to carry smaller equipment, rather than one of three bigger “full coffin” bags that Warner had identified as likely to contain the missing backpack.
But was the bag ever actually missing? Was it with the rest of the team’s luggage in that hotel room all along?
Nine newspapers reported on Monday two team sources claiming the bag had been seen by one member of support staff on the night of 2 January – on the eve of the SCG Test – before Warner wore a replacement cap on the first two days.
So was it just overlooked in a sea of luggage?
Cricket Australia says it doesn’t know. A spokesperson says it may have been taken by mistake, it may have been returned to the room, it may have been delivered to the wrong room. It may have been in storage.
It is, it seems, still a mystery.
Asked about the reappearance of the cap on Friday on television show Sunrise, Warner’s wife, Candice, said the fact that her husband got his baggy greens back was what was important.
According to news.com.au she said: “It’s always busy in our household, especially last week,” she said. “It was an unbelievable week. A week of reflection and just celebration for us.”
“But, I mean, that’s a question for, you know, security, management. At the end of the day, he got his baggy greens back. That’s the main thing.”
