Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith aimed a bizarre swipe at 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 part in the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal of 2018.
Smith was sacked as captain as a result of the ball-tampering episode against South Africa and it is often used by England fans as a taunt to the 36-year-old.
In what appeared to be an arranged set-up between Smith and a journalist, a question about Panesar’s comments was posed within two minutes of the pre-match news conference at Perth Stadium.
Smith responded by referring to Panesar’s appearance in 2019 on BBC TV show Celebrity Mastermind, when he managed only one correct answer in the general knowledge round. The left-arm spinner had correctly answered six questions on Sikhism and its history in the specialist subject round.
“I’m going to go off topic here,” said Smith. “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.
“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.”
One of the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in recent memory begins on Friday.
Until Smith’s bite at Panesar, players on both teams had refrained from involvement in hostility towards each other.
The West Australian newspaper has been baiting the England team since they arrived in Perth.
Thursday’s front page labelled the tourists “arrogant Bazballing Poms”.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, England coach Brendon McCullum said the hype around the series is “pretty cool”.
Smith is standing in for regular skipper Pat Cummins, who is missing the first Test with a back injury.
For the Australia captain to turn his attention to Panesar the day before such a huge Test series begins was an odd turn of events, and the most memorable line in a 17-minute address of the media.
In 2024, Panesar announced his attention to stand as an MP in the general election for the Workers Party of Britain, only to pull out a week later.
