Australia’s stand-in Test captain Steve Smith delivered a scathing and unexpected response to Monty Panesar after the former England spinner urged Ben Stokes and the English media to target him over the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal during the upcoming Ashes series.Smith, who confirmed Australia’s XI for the Ashes opener in Perth, was asked about Panesar’s provocative remarks — and he did not hold back. Rather than engaging on the subject of ball-tampering, the Australian star went straight for Panesar’s credibility by revisiting his infamous 2019 appearance on the UK quiz show Celebrity Mastermind.
Panesar’s call to “make Smith feel guilty”
In recent comments, Panesar had urged England to use psychological pressure against Smith.“Ben Stokes and the England team have got to make Steve Smith feel guilty and play on that,” Panesar said while referring to Sandpapergate.He added that England should sledge Smith by questioning his ethics and captaincy: “Say something like, ‘I don’t think it’s ethical that he’s the captain.’ Really get into him and make him feel guilty… Use it as a way to help England.”Panesar went further, saying the UK media should pile on as well: “If it were the opposite, the Australian media would be all over it… ‘the cheaters have arrived’, right?”
Steve Smith fires back
Smith’s response at the press conference ahead of the Perth Test left the room stunned.“I’m going to go off topic for a second here,” he began. “Who in the room has seen Mastermind with Monty Panesar on it? Any of you?”Smith then encouraged everyone to watch Panesar’s clip, describing it as “pretty comical.”Highlighting the former spinner’s notorious mistakes on the quiz show, Smith continued:“Anyone that believes Athens is in Germany, that Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and that America is a city… those comments don’t really bother me. That’s as far as I’ll go with that one.”The swipe landed hard — a calculated dismissal of Panesar’s stance without even engaging with the actual cricketing criticism.
Sandpapergate: The controversy Panesar referenced
The Sandpapergate saga dates back to 2018 when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during a Test in South Africa. Smith admitted he was aware of the plan and received a one-year captaincy ban along with a playing suspension, while David Warner was handed an even harsher penalty, as he would never again be considered for a leadership position within the Australia team.Though the scandal remains a talking point overseas, Smith has rebuilt his career and continues to be one of Australia’s most important Test batters.
