For almost 20 years English cricket has been in awe of the "baggy green", the ugly-looking cap Australians proudly wear when they play Tests. For an Australian there is supposedly no greater honour, the headgear being a symbol of everything that is good in the country. The team have been known to wear it in the evenings after famous Test victories; on one occasion they were even seen donning them at Wimbledon, to show support for and to motivate an Australian tennis player.
How the England cricket team of the 1990s could have done with something similar. Cricketers are by nature a selfish breed but the grandeur of the baggy green has kept the Australians under control. Wearing it is deemed to be more important than the performance, emotion or circumstances of any individual. New Zealand, under Stephen Fleming, attempted to create something similar, inviting a great achiever from the country to present the team with their "black caps" before every Test.
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Baggy green or a quick buck? No choice at all for Australia's heroes
Baggy green or a quick buck? No choice at all for Australia's heroes
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