Melbourne, Jan 18 (PTI) Former Australia pacer Damien Fleming has claimed his Test career possibly ended after he did not wear the baggy green to the Wimbledon final in 2001, as the-then skipper Steve Waugh expected everyone to wear the iconic cap.
Fleming, 52, who played 20 Tests, said the day before the Wimbledon final between Australia’s Patrick Rafter and Croatia’s Goran Ivanisevic, there were huge celebrations in the touring party’s camp as they had won the Ashes, and the players “progressed through the alcohol”.
Fleming added that in the celebratory mood, the talk about wearing the baggy green to the Wimbledon final was probably missed and he along with Shane Warne and Mark Waugh turned up at the team bus the next morning without the cap.
“In the 2001 Ashes tour, we finished a day early and there was a washout (at Wimbledon) so Patty (Pat) Rafter and Goran (Ivanisevic) played a day later,” Fleming told ‘SEN Cricket’ on Wednesday.
“Tickets were organised for us to go down and watch. I was very excited, we’d won so there was a big celebration, we were singing the song and a few people were talking about wearing the Baggy Green as we progressed through the alcohol.
“At night you’re thinking it’s just a bit of alcohol talking, but surely this won’t come into play. So I rock up for the bus, get on and guess what? Everyone has got their Baggy Greens except for Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and myself,” added Fleming, who last played Test cricket in February, 2001.
He was a member of the 2001 (July-August) Ashes squad but did not make it to the playing XI.
Fleming said that Steve wasn’t happy seeing the three of them without the baggy green and it probably had “ramifications” for him.
“We’re on centre stage (at Wimbledon) and you hear this roar. One by one as we walked through there was a massive roar. But Steve Waugh was not happy that everyone hasn’t worn the Baggy Green. So there’s got to be ramifications for this.” The former pacer added that with Warne being an icon and Mark being Steve’s brother, he became the fall guy.
“You can’t drop Shane Warne. Not again. I think he (Waugh) worked out that didn’t go down very well. He can’t drop his brother Mark Waugh. What would that be like at Christmas lunch? “So, someone has to go and it’s the big-nosed Victorian. Not the smartest thing I ever did. I never played Test match cricket again.” Fleming said he was simply naive not to wear the cap and got branded as a ‘rebel’ with Warne and Mark.
“They (Warne and Mark Waugh) were the rebels. I got grouped in with the rebels, whereas mine was genuine naivety, going, ‘Nah, surely we’re not’ (going to wear them). I paid for it though.
“‘Tugga’, if I knew it was going to have that sort of ramification, I would have worn the Baggy Green. End of career. Harsh. And Patty (Rafter) lost.” Ivanisevic defeated Rafter at Wimbledon for his maiden Grand Slam title.
Source: PTI News
