Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith had a heated exchange with former England spinner Monty Panesar ahead of the first Ashes match in Perth on Friday. The Englishman lost his cool while taking a brutal dig at one of Steve Smith’s horrific crimes.
The Ashes is here, and so is the heat associated with both countries attending the game. England and Australia, two of the oldest and biggest rivals in the history of the red ball game, will not only clash with each other on the field during this 2-month trip, but will also try to break the psychology of the opposition off the field.
One such joke took place between Australia’s modern-day great Steve Smith and former England spinner Monty Panesar. While Panesar admitted that he himself had made mistakes, he took a sharp dig by claiming that his mistakes were on the mastermind show while Smith was on the cricket field.
Monty Panesar vs Steve Smith – The Cold War Continues
Ever since the Ashes were announced, Monty Panesar has been talking about the England team specifically targeting Australian great Steve Smith. Smith is one of the strongest pillars of the Australian batting deck.
He has notably been suggesting that the Englishman be ruthless and target Steve Smith not only with gameplay but also with his mindplay against the experienced player. He suggested Smith to mention the sandpaper incident whenever he came out to bat.
Steve Smith did not make any serious comments and instead took a dig at Panesar for his failed appearance on the Celebrity Mastermind show. However, Panesar never intended to settle the matter easily, as he pointed out ways for England to use his name as ammunition against Smith.
“The worst example of Australian cheating in history” – Monty Panesar’s unfiltered opinion on Steve Smith
As the cold war between the Australian legend and the former English spinner continued, it took an ugly turn as Panesar has now turned hostile, taking a direct dig at Steve Smith’s sandpaper incident and also calling him a ‘cheater’.
Responding to Steve Smith mocking his poor knowledge on the Celebrity Mastermind show, Panesar said, “It’s bad knowledge, but at least it’s not ball tampering. The worst example of Australian cheating in history.”
This was not only a dig at Steve Smith but also a direct attack on the Australian team, as the former spinner indirectly called the Australian team cheaters in the game.
Panesar gives England sledging tips against experienced Australian batsman
Apart from his scathing comments on Steve Smith, he also struck a personal chord with the veteran player as he suggested the Englishman to pull him into an uncomfortable position by taking his focus off the game.
He suggested that the Ben Stokes-led team should mention his name and further said that Monty is on their mind, and with a ‘no’. He has number 11 in his mind, he is going to bat like anyone else. He further said that making Smith uncomfortable would be the best strategy for England to gain the lead.
Also read: Watch: Ben Stokes surprised in the first match of Ashes, Mitchell Starc uprooted his stumps
