Cricket Star Steve Smith Accused Of Defacing An Australian Icon

The 30-year tradition of Test players wearing their baggy greens until they disintegrate has been called into question, with fans urging Steve Smith to replace his cap and starting a furious online debate.
Vision emerged of Smith's baggy green looking decidedly worse for wear during the Test against the West Indies, prompting several shocked fans to question why he doesn't get a new one and even calling him out for 'disrespect'.
Steve Smith of Australia walks out for the coin toss during day one of the Second Test Match in the series between Australia and the West Indies at Adelaide Oval
Ricky Ponting during his final Test match with his baggy green cap in extremely bad condition showing rips, tears and extreme fading
Cricket fan Andrew Dalton tweeted: 'Why accept this defacing of an iconic and treasured garment of national pride? Please do better.' 

He quickly copped a barrage from cricket fans who pointed out the history of senior cricket stars wearing the same faded and damaged caps for their entire careers.
Na mate. The worn out baggy green is a true testament to how long you've been playing.

Move on flog.
— Fog (@Fog_House_) 'Surely a worn Baggy Green that has still been cared for, and stored after play rather than just chucked in the kit bag is a sign of even greater respect?' a Twitter user named Alex interjected.
'Getting the Baggy Green is the proudest moment of my life, I'll treasure it forever… but not actually respect it enough to look after it, more respect it like I respect a dish cloth.'
'You don't understand the tradition. Go and read up on it. They will always wear one to the max. Stop judging start researching,' Perry Delaney replied.
Looking forward to yo If you thought you'd already seen the most Steve Waugh thing 'Looking forward to you having a crack at this bloke about the state of his baggy green, champ,' Carl Moller replied with an image of Steve Waugh and his infamously tattered headwear. 
Smith revealed on Tuesday that his cap is so badly damaged because rodents gnawed away at it while he was playing in Sri Lanka during July's test series.
'I left it overnight in the change room in Galle like I do everywhere and turned up next day and rats had got to it, I think,' he told . 
Mark Taylor created the tradition of handing out the baggy green hats to debutants in the 1990s and Steve Waugh took it step further, developing the tradition of bringing past players back to hand out the prized cap to new players.
While each player is offered a new baggy green at the start of every tour, it is seen as a mark of respect to wear the same one throughout your career, showing your seniority as it gets more and more battered.
Justin Langer farewells the crowd after his final Test match with a baggy green that was in very poor shape
Steve Waugh is the man credited with starting the tradition of players wearing the same baggy green cap throughout their careers
Waugh was famously the first player to take the field with a cap in very poor condition, while icons like Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer had baggy green caps that were literally falling apart on the final day of their Test careers.
'I never contemplated replacing it just because it had aged. I saw the stains, tears, fading and fraying as badges of honour, each imperfection telling a story,' Waugh famously said.

Poll Should Australian Test players replace their tattered and old baggy green caps?
Yes No Should Australian Test players replace their tattered and old baggy green caps?
Yes 15 votes No 38 votes
Now share your opinion
   
DM.later('bundle', function()
DM.molFePolls.init(
id : "p-25",
params :
pollStyle: 'default',
pollId: '1158545',
pollImage: ,
articleImage: website
defaultImage: website
question: "Should Australian Test players replace their tattered and old baggy green caps?",
questionId: '1153795',
twitterVia: 'MailOnline',
fbAppId: '146202712090395'

);

DMS.PollShare.init("p-25",
pollStyle: 'default',
pollId: '1158545',
pollImage: ,
articleImage: website
defaultImage: website
question: "Should Australian Test players replace their tattered and old baggy green caps?",
twitterVia: 'MailOnline',
fbAppId: '146202712090395'
);
);

Ponting's cap had to be repaired multiple times, including when the peak fell off, and new rips and tears appeared during his final Test when players ruffled his head to celebrate a catch.
'I haven't got one piece of cricket memorabilia up in my house anywhere, sports-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com but this is obviously a bit more special than the rest of it,' he said during his final Test match for Australia.
'It might need some renovating or something done to it. It's been done up a couple of times over the years already. So we'll see what happens with it.'
But not every Aussie Test cricket player believed that the baggy green should be worn to death and thrashed to tatters.
When Steve Waugh infamously told the players to wear their baggy green caps to Wimbledon, Shane Warne refused and wore a regular cap instead.
Steve Waugh told all the Test players to wear their baggy green to Wimbledon but Shane Warne said 'nup' and wore an Oakley cap instead
Warne was not the hugest fan of the baggy green and would prefer to wear the classic white Greg Chappell hat in the field. 
'I always believed that you didn't have to wear the baggy green cap to say how much you loved playing cricket for Australia,' he said.
'So the stuff that they go on about, the fabric of the baggy green and all this stuff that they go on about, I don't sign in and buy in to that.
'I loved playing cricket for Australia, and I didn't need to wear that cap or have that verbal diarrhoea about it, I just enjoyed playing cricket for Australia.
Dean Jones fields in the slips with Allan Border and Terry Alderman, wearing a very pristine looking baggy green
The late Dean Jones was another player opposed to wearing the same baggy green until it disintegrates.
'I like to see cricketers looking immaculate and pristine. You didn't see Tiger Woods wear the same cap to win his 14 majors. Nor other athletes, for that matter, over a period of time,' he wrote for the .
'Players have always been allowed to replace their cap for another if they feel it's looking ragged or worn out, but they choose not to do so. I am sorry but I don't get it.
'It is very hard to say anything bad against Australia's favourite sportsman, but Steve Smith is one of the Australians whose cap is fraying at the edges and it needs a change.
'I am starting to see signs of the white plastic appearing through the peak of his cap. It's time to change it, Smudge.'
RELATED ARTICLES



Share this article
Share



adverts.addToArray({"pos":"inread_player"})Advertisement


data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links">
Read more:






DM.later('bundle', function()
DM.has('external-source-links', 'externalLinkTracker');
);