Baggy green

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The Baggy green is a cricket cap of green colour, which has been worn by Australian Test cricketers since the first test match in 1876-77. The cap has long been a symbol of national pride in Australia[1], and was described by the chief executive of the MCC as the "most famous cricket cap in the world" [2].

While respect for the baggy green has always been high, it has grown in stature since the 1990s, chiefly due to the efforts of former captains Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. Waugh regularly expressed his belief that the honouring of the traditions of the game was critical to the success of a team: "To be able to partake of these rituals and traditions has meant you have been awarded the highest honour in Australian cricket - you have been selected to play for your country".[3].

The baggy green was originally supplied to the player as part of a kit of equipment, and a new cap was routinely issued for each tour. In the early 1990s an unofficial practice emerged amongst test players to never replace a baggy green, most notably by Steve Waugh [4]. Although there is no official rule against a player obtaining a replacement cap from Cricket Australia, it is something that almost never occurs, and the increasingly dilapidated state of an aging baggy green is a de facto symbol of seniority amongst the players in the team.

During his captaincy Taylor instituted a pre-match ceremony for the awarding of a cap, where new players would receive their baggy green from a past player of a similar discipline (batsman, spin bowler, etc). This ceremony has continued under the Waugh and Ponting captaincies. Another tradition instituted by Taylor (and one that has also continued) is the practice of all players wearing the baggy green during the first session in the field of a test match, as a symbol of solidarity. Even Shane Warne, known for his attachment to a floppy sun hat, observed this tradition without question.[5]. Players seldom wear the baggy green while batting, choosing a protective helmet instead.

Baggy greens can in some cases be prized as valuable sporting memorabilia. The baggy green worn by Sir Donald Bradman during his final season in 1948 sold in 2003 for A$425,000, and the 1953 cap of Keith Miller sold at auction for A$35,000.[6]. Even the caps of lesser-known players have fetched figures above A$10,000.[7]

The Australian version of the Cricinfo website is known as baggygreen.com.au, in recognition of the significance of the cap. [8]