In an unexpected turn of events just before the Ashes, Monty Panesar and Steve Smith found themselves embroiled in a surprising controversy. The Australian skipper took the opportunity during a press conference to revive memories of the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal that rocked the cricket world.
Panesar’s remarks on the infamous ball-tampering incident seemed to have gone unnoticed by many cricket enthusiasts until Smith strategically brought them to light. Panesar had suggested that Ben Stokes and the England team should exploit Smith’s past to unsettle him, insinuating doubts about his ethics and fair play.
Smith, who had captained Australia during the sandpaper controversy in 2018, cleverly steered the press conference to address Panesar’s comments. He humorously referenced the TV show “Mastermind” and indirectly brushed off Panesar’s remarks by emphasizing the triviality of such criticisms.
Following his dismissal as Australia’s captain due to his involvement in the scandal, Smith has been reinstated as captain for the upcoming Ashes series in Perth, stepping in for the injured Pat Cummins. Meanwhile, Panesar, a former England spinner, responded to Smith’s retort by highlighting that everyone makes mistakes, drawing a parallel between his quiz show blunder and Smith’s on-field controversy.
The Ashes are set to kick off in Perth with England likely to adopt an aggressive pace attack featuring five seamers. Although off-spinner Shoaib Bashir is part of the 12-man squad, he is expected to be omitted from the playing XI for the opening match.
In a separate development, Sky has announced a significant price reduction for its Essential TV and Sky Sports package ahead of the upcoming season. Members can now enjoy substantial savings and access to over 1,400 live matches across various leagues, including a significant increase in the number of live Premier League games to be broadcast next season.
