Warner will make his final Test appearance at the SCG this week and is desperate to have his cap returned.
“Hi all, this is my last resort,” he wrote on Instagram, alongside a video, “but my backpack, which contained my Baggy Green, has been taken from my luggage, which was transported to Melbourne airport and flown on @qantas to Sydney a few days ago. @qantas have said they checked their cameras and have not seen anyone open our bags and take the backpack, however they do have blind spots. If you are the person, who was either working for the company driving it to and from the airport or working for @qantas and have, by chance, just wanted the backpack, I have one for. I would be grateful if this were returned asap. Thanks.”
“Please reach out to Cricket Australia or myself via my social media and I’m happy to give this to you if you return my baggy greens,” Warner added in the video.
The bag is understood to contain two caps, including the one that Warner has worn for the majority of his 111 Tests. In 2017 he was provided with a replacement cap when his original could not be located before his wife, Candice, found it in a bag at home.
“I think there should be a countrywide search right now from the Australian Government,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said. “We might need the best of detectives to get that back.
“Because he’s been a great ambassador and he deserves every bit of respect and every bit of celebration for his unbelievable career. He’s an example to openers. And just personally I love watching him bat and love watching him play.”
Nick Hockley, the Cricket Australia CEO, said: “I implore anyone with information about the location of Dave’s bag and baggy green caps to come forward so he can proudly wear his cap for a final time at the SCG.”
“I think everyone will think of him in their own way,” he said. “Personally I think of him when he first came on the scene and really changed Test cricket. He was striking at over 70 which is unheared of, especially for an opening batter, averaging 40 or 50. That’s the Davey I remember – walking out there and taking the game away from the opposition in the space of an hour or two, and doing it for over a decade.
“His longevity is something that gets overlooked. Just the bulk of cricket he’s played over the last 12-13 years is pretty much more than anyone else in the world. Every time he walks out there, he’s competitive and ready to go. Just a champion of Australian sport. Hopefully he gets a good send off this week.”
Cummins confirmed that Australia would take an unchanged XI into the Sydney Test as they look to secure the series 3-0.
