STAND-IN Australia captain Steve Smith responded to comments from former England spinner Monty Panesar on the eve of the first Ashes Test.
Panesar, who played 50 Tests between 2006 and 2013, said last week England should make Smith feel “guilty” about his role in the 2018 ball-tampering incident.
Smith was removed as captain after the episode during the South Africa series, and the issue is often raised by England supporters.
At Smith’s pre-match news conference at Perth Stadium, a question about Panesar’s remarks was raised within two minutes. Panesar had told a gambling website: “Ben Stokes and the England team have got to make Steve Smith feel guilty and play on that. Say something like, ‘I don’t think it’s ethical that he’s the captain, I don’t think he played the game fairly’. Really get into him and make him feel guilty about it.”
Smith referenced Panesar’s appearance on Celebrity Mastermind in 2019, where he managed one correct answer in the general knowledge round. “I’m going to go off topic here,” Smith 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.”
He added: “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.”
The Ashes begins on Friday. Smith is standing in for Pat Cummins, who has a back injury. Panesar announced plans in 2024 to stand as an MP for the Workers Party of Britain before withdrawing a week later.
