The Ashes: Australia’s Steve Smith Takes a Dig at Monty Panesar with a Mastermind Reference
In a surprising turn of events, Australia’s stand-in captain, Steve Smith, took a playful dig at former England spinner Monty Panesar on the eve of the first Ashes Test. This came in response to Panesar’s comments suggesting that Smith should feel ‘guilty’ about his involvement in the 2018 ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal.
Smith, who was removed from the captaincy due to the ball-tampering incident, has been a target for England fans ever since. The question about Panesar’s comments was strategically posed to Smith during the pre-match news conference, leading to a witty response.
Smith recalled Panesar’s appearance on the BBC TV show Mastermind in 2019, where he struggled to answer general knowledge questions correctly. Panesar, a left-arm spinner, had managed only one correct answer in the general knowledge round, despite correctly answering six questions on Sikhism and its history in the specialist subject round.
Smith humorously compared Panesar’s performance on Mastermind to the comments made by Panesar about him. He said, ‘Who of you 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.’
He continued, ‘Anyone who believes that Athens is in Germany, 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.’
The Ashes series, one of the most anticipated in recent memory, begins on Friday. Prior to Smith’s comment, players on both teams had avoided any hostile interactions.
The West Australian newspaper had been taunting the England team since their arrival in Perth, labeling them as ‘arrogant Bazballing Poms’ on Thursday’s front page.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, England coach Brendon McCullum expressed enthusiasm about the series, stating, ‘The hype around the series is pretty cool.’
Smith is temporarily leading the Australian team as regular skipper Pat Cummins is absent due to a back injury. The decision for Smith to address Panesar on the eve of such a significant Test series was an unexpected move, making it a memorable moment in the 17-minute media address.