Monty Panesar and Steve Smith unexpectedly found themselves embroiled in a controversy ahead of the Ashes series. The Australian captain brought attention back to the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal during a press conference, responding to comments made by Panesar regarding playing mind games against Smith.
Panesar had suggested that England should make Smith feel guilty about his past actions as captain, emphasizing the need to challenge his ethics and fair play. Smith, in turn, strategically addressed these remarks during his press conference, drawing parallels to a comedic appearance Panesar made on a TV quiz show.
Having been stripped of his captaincy following the sandpaper scandal in 2018, Smith has now been reinstated for the upcoming Test in Perth due to Pat Cummins’ unavailability. Panesar, a former England spinner, responded to Smith’s comments by highlighting that everyone makes mistakes, implying that his blunder on a quiz show is comparable to Smith’s on-field incident.
The Ashes series is set to commence in Perth, with England likely to opt for a pace-heavy bowling attack. Despite including off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in the squad, he is expected to be omitted from the final playing XI. Additionally, Sky has enhanced its TV and sports bundle to include various streaming services and extensive coverage of sports events like the Premier League, EFL, Formula 1, darts, and golf.