On the eve of the first Ashes Test, Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith took a bizarre swipe at former England spinner Monty Panesar.
Panesar, who played 50 Tests from 2006 to 2013, said last week that England should make Steve Smith feel “guilty” for his role in the 2018 ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal.
Steve Smith was fired as captain as a result of the ball-tampering incident against South Africa, and England fans frequently use it as a taunt to the 36-year-old.
Within two minutes of the pre-match news conference at Perth Stadium, Steve Smith and a journalist appeared to have arranged a question about Panesar’s comments.
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Steve Smith responded by bringing up Panesar’s appearance on the BBC TV show Celebrity Mastermind in 2019, where he only got one correct answer in the general knowledge round. The left-arm spinner correctly answered six questions about Sikhism and its history during the specialist subject round.
“I’m going to go off topic here,” Steve Smith stated. “Have any of you seen Mastermind with Monty Panesar?
“Those who have will understand where I am coming from. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor: it’s pretty funny.
“Anyone who believes that Athens is in Germany, Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and America is a city, those comments do not bother me. That’s as far as I’ll take that one.”
One of the most anticipated Ashes series in recent memory kicks off on Friday.
Until Smith’s bite at Panesar, players on both teams had refrained from expressing hostility toward one another.
The West Australian newspaper has been baiting the England team since their arrival in Perth.
The tourists were referred to as “arrogant Bazballing Poms” on Thursday’s front page.
England coach Brendon McCullum said the hype surrounding the series is “pretty cool” in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport.
Smith is replacing regular skipper Pat Cummins, who will miss the first Test due to a back injury.
The Australian captain’s decision to focus on Panesar the day before such a large Test series began was an unusual turn of events, and the most memorable line in a 17-minute media address.
Panesar announced his intention to run for MP in the 2024 general election for the Workers Party of Britain, but he withdrew a week later.
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