Nostalgia has well and truly taken hold among sports fans desperately trying to fill the void left by a lack of live action.

As coronavirus forces the suspension of leagues around the world, looking back in time has become a favourite hobby for sports lovers trying to beat the boredom of isolation.

For cricket fanatics, Mark Waugh delivered the perfect pre-Easter gift on Friday night. The former Australian batsman uploaded a photo on Twitter of some of the iconic bats he used throughout his career, from the Symonds Super Tusker at the start, to the Slazenger V100 of the 1990s all the way through to the Slazenger V800 he was using before retirement.

A row of bats like Waugh’s is as good as it gets for cricket lovers. For players, there’s nothing better than the smell and sight of a new bat at the start of a season, or looking at the cherries on an old favourite remembering fondly the special innings they’ve crafted.

Waugh’s post clearly resonated with the cricketing community, generating a frenzied reaction on social media. By Saturday morning, his post had more than 1100 comments, been retweeted nearly 2000 times and was liked by upwards of 31,000 people.

Cleaning the garage out today and came across my arsenal of weapons over the years. My favourite was 2nd from the end on the right. Note my Symonds Super Tusker thought it was ripper in the day but looks like a plank. pic.twitter.com/XiH5AUlvbV — Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) April 10, 2020

The beautiful image caught the attention of regular punters and notable names as well. Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle’s interest was piqued, while ex-Victorian wicketkeeper Darren Berry, former England captain Michael Vaughan and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara also chimed in.

In reply to Waugh’s picture, Sangakkara tweeted: “I would love to post some pics but unfortunately I have no bats at home. None that I have used in my career. Given them all away.”

No Harsha. They have been safely tucked away for quite a while. I did play in a bushfire appeal game for the SCG trust but it got washed out before I got a hit. Hope you guys are all well and coping in India.🙏 — Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) April 10, 2020

Great work the stumping chuck. I think it may have been off I.Harvey. — Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) April 10, 2020

If I remember correctly you were a GM man which is surprising considering the Slazenger factory was located in Yorkshire. — Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) April 10, 2020

v100 ultimate “Waugh Zone” with the multicoloured grip, was the bat I worked off paying back my Mum over two summers ... had a long blade & about the same time I fell in love with the game. — Marty Pask (@mpask) April 10, 2020



Waugh’s post inspired others to upload photos of their bat collections as cricketers took a stroll down memory lane.