- Missing caps were found in the team hotel
- It is still unclear where they were before they were found
- Experts believe that it would be foolish to steal them for a good reason
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If someone had stolen David Warner's prized Baggy Green Test cricket caps, he would have had virtually no chance of making any money from them, a leading expert has revealed.
The drama surrounding the Aussie opener's Test retirement was ratcheted up several notches this week when he claimed his Baggy Green caps had been pinched.
Warner has two Baggy Greens as he was given a replacement during the 2017 tour of Bangladesh as he lost his original before it was later found.
He claimed they went missing on their way to Sydney from Melbourne after he and the rest of his team flew Qantas and asked the airline for help.
Warner's two Baggy Green caps were in a backpack that the Australian opener said was missing when 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 announced today on social media that the backpack containing the two caps had been located, but did not reveal the details.
“I'm happy and relieved to have my wide (green cap) in my hands again,” he said.
“Every cricketer knows how special his cap is and I will cherish it for the rest of my life.
“I am very grateful to everyone involved in locating it: the Qantas team, the freight company, the hotel and our own team management.
“It's a weight off my shoulders…I really appreciate it, so thank you all.”
Cricket Australia said the backpack mysteriously reappeared.
“The bag they were packed in was found at the team hotel (in Sydney) with all its contents inside,” CA said in a statement.
“The movements of the missing bag are unknown despite extensive searches and 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 worth up to $40,000 each but would be extremely difficult to sell because no modern Test player had ever sold his prized headgear.
The only modern Test player to sell his Baggy Green was Shane Warne, who did so publicly for the Bushfire Appeal in 2020 (pictured)
Some cricket fans believe that Warner's backpack was simply lost and he is unwilling to admit that the caps were lost due to a simple mistake.
The one notable exception was when Shane Warne sold his Baggy Green for $1 million to raise money for the 2020 bushfires.
“I don't know the condition of either (Warner's caps), but the rough value of his battered cap would be between $20,000 and $40,000,” Fahey said. News Corp.
'The cap(s) are indeed worthless or would be sold for almost nothing given the publicity.
“It's not really a well-thought-out crime, if that's what it was. I'm just glad they're back in David's possession. The baggy green is a huge part of an Australian cricketer's career.'
The mysterious nature of both the disappearance and reemergence of the Test caps has led many cricket fans to speculate.
Some believe Warner simply lost the backpack but stuck with his original story to save face.
“I'm convinced it was just in the bottom of his luggage and Candy found it yesterday and they're going along with the lie to save face,” one fan wrote.
“I guarantee there has been no major scandal regarding the cap. Either he put it in the wrong place himself or a team official or teammate used it for giggles and laughs and now they're just perpetuating the stolen story,” another added.
Others think it was a PR exercise to get more attention for Warner's public pension match, with one fan writing: 'I remember hearing players say they carry them in their carry-ons to avoid losing them. Publicity stunt for sure'.