Monty Panesar still wants England to use the 2018 ball-tampering scandal as “ammunition” against Steve Smith, claiming the stand-in skipper’s savage response showed that Sandpapergate is “still in his head”
Panesar tiggered the war of words when he urged England’s players and fans to sledge Smith about the incident which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended alongside David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
The 36-year old, who said he is “a lot more relaxed” as captain nowadays, snapped back at Panesar at his media conference on the eve of Friday’s first Test by making fun of his infamous Mastermind appearance.
In Panesar’s cringeworthy appearance on the UK quiz show several years ago, he gave terrible answers to several easy questions.
Panesar, who last played Test cricket in 2013 after a seven-year stint which included 50 appearances for England, thought Smith’s seemingly rehearsed response proved that it was still getting under his skin.
He wrote a column for the Telegraph in England in which he further inflamed the situation.
“I’ve started, so I’ll finish,” he wrote.
“Those were the words I heard at the end of my Mastermind shocker six years ago. But if I’m guilty of anything, it is having bad general knowledge. And that is better than being a cheat.
“We’ve both made mistakes. I made my mine on a quiz show. He made his on the cricket field.”
Earlier, he had told the PA news agency: “It’s an interesting one. I think it’s still in his head, 100 per cent.
“I find it so funny that he’s memorised the questions and answers. The best way to deviate from it is say something completely funny, comical, what I did on the show and it will move everything on.
“If I was in the England team right now, I’d be thinking ‘Monty’s just given us a piece of ammunition that we can use on Steve Smith’.
“What I’m trying to do is help the England team – this is your opportunity. You’re at Perth, no Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood.
“If you’ve got the courage and you think it’s a good idea, say it to him. Say ‘Monty’s in your head, mate, you’ve got a number 11 batsman in your head, are you going to bat like him today?’
Former England spinner Monty Panesar. (Photo by Gareth Copley – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
“Making him uncomfortable is the key. Ashes cricket is all about gaining one per centers, could this be the one per cent advantage for the England team to get Steve Smith out.
Smith laughed off Panesar’s initial comments by asking the reporters in attendance: “I’m going to go off topic here, who in the room has seen Mastermind, and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you?”
“Those of you that have will understand where I’m coming from. If you haven’t, do yourself a favour because it is pretty comical. Anyone that believes that Athens is in Germany, that’s a start, or that Oliver Twist is a season of the year and America is a city.
“It doesn’t really bother me, those comments. That’s as far as I’ll go with that one.”
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin earlier in the week on The Willow Talk podcast said Panesary should “pull his f—ing head in”.
Panesar’s run-in with Smith follows former England coach David Lloyd predicting the tourists will win 5-0, Stuart Broad claiming the Australian team was the weakest in 15 years and Michael Vaughan suggesting the hosts might try to doctor the pitch to their advantage to blunt the Bazball fireworks.
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