Australian stand-in captain Steve Smith has found himself in the middle of a heated exchange with former England spinner Monty Panesar ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes opener in Perth this Friday. What began as a routine pre-series talk quickly transformed into a fiery war of words, with Panesar delivering one of the harshest jibes Smith has faced in recent times—one linked to one of the Australian great’s darkest moments on the cricket field. As the Ashes return, so does the trademark intensity between two of cricket’s oldest rivals.
For the next two months, England and Australia won’t just battle for dominance with bat and ball—they’ll also engage in a psychological tug-of-war, a narrative that has become as iconic as the series itself. And right now, the spark of that psychological warfare is crackling between Steve Smith and Monty Panesar. Panesar, known for his outspoken nature, openly acknowledged his own mistakes over the years, including his infamous performance on Celebrity Mastermind.
But in the same breath, he didn’t hold back from delivering a brutal rebuke to Smith, stating that while his blunders happened on a quiz show, Smith’s happened on the cricket field—a thinly veiled reference to the sandpaper scandal. The former England spinner has repeatedly emphasised in recent weeks that England must make Steve Smith their prime target—both with the ball and with relentless chatter.
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According to Panesar, Smith remains Australia’s greatest batting pillar, and unsettling him early could tilt the momentum England’s way. He even advised the English players to bring up the sandpaper episode every time Smith walked out to bat. Smith, however, brushed off the criticism with a characteristic smirk, countering by reminding Panesar of his much-mocked Mastermind appearance. But Panesar wasn’t backing down. Instead, he escalated the feud.
In what is now the most explosive remark of this exchange, Monty Panesar fired back: “It’s bad knowledge, but at least it isn’t ball tampering. The worst example of Australian cheating in history.”
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With that statement, he didn’t just hit at Steve Smith—he took aim at the entire Australian cricket system, reopening wounds many hoped were long buried.
Monty Panesar didn’t stop there. He went personal, even tactical, suggesting ways for England to push Smith “into an uncomfortable emotional corner.” He urged Ben Stokes and his men to mention his name deliberately during play, telling Smith that “Monty is in his head,” comparing him to a No. 11 batter likely to crumble under pressure.
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With the Ashes yet to begin, this psychological battle has already set the tone. Steve Smith remains calm for now, but Panesar’s comments have added a layer of intrigue—and tension—that guarantees an electric start in Perth.
