Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith responded sharply in Perth to comments made by former England spinner Monty Panesar, as the countdown to the first Ashes Test took an unexpected turn.
Panesar, who last played international cricket in 2013, recently suggested in an interview with a betting website that England players could try to unsettle Smith by referring to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that led to him losing the national captaincy.
He argued that pressuring the Australian captain verbally might give England a competitive edge.
Smith, due to lead Australia in the absence of the injured Pat Cummins, was asked for his reaction ahead of tomorrow’s opener at Perth Stadium.
He opted for humour rather than anger, invoking Panesar’s appearance on BBC Mastermind in 2019, a broadcast that became widely discussed at the time for all the wrong reasons.
“I’m going to go off topic for a second here,” Smith said to reporters.
“Who in the room has seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you?
Monty Panesar said England should reignite Sandpaper-gate during the Ashes...
— Herald Sun Sport (@heraldsunsport) November 20, 2025
Steve Smith came prepared. 😂 pic.twitter.com/Kspp5nuBXv
“Those who have will understand where I’m coming from, and those who haven’t - do yourself a favour, because it’s pretty comical.”
Smith continued light-heartedly, saying: “Anyone who believes Athens is in Germany, or Oliver Twist is a season of the year, or America is a city, doesn’t really bother me with those comments.
“That’s as far as I’ll go with that one.”
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His response appeared to close down any prospect of verbal sparring developing into a psychological subplot for the series.
While Panesar had encouraged England to “put pressure” on Smith over his past, the Australian captain’s remarks signalled little interest in engaging with the tactic.
Earlier in the press conference, Smith confirmed Australia’s final XI for the first Test.
Jake Weatherald will make his debut as an opening batsman, while seamer Brendan Doggett has also been handed a first cap.
All-rounder Beau Webster misses out.
Smith, who remains one of Australia’s most prolific batters since returning from his 12-month suspension in 2019, will lead a side missing Cummins and fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, both recovering from injury.
Monty Panesar struggled during his appearance on BBC Mastermind
|BBC
England, meanwhile, are expected to finalise their line-up closer to the start of play.
The long-anticipated series begins on Friday morning local time, with tens of thousands of travelling supporters expected in Perth and a fierce contest predicted on and off the field.
The last Ashes series, back in 2023, ended in a draw - meaning the Aussies retained the urn.
England's last victory Down Under came in the 2010/2011 series, back when Andrew Strauss was skippering the side.