The incident occurred as Panesar, ahead of the series, urged the England players to mentally target Smith using his past, particularly the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal. He suggested Ben Stokes’ men should ‘make Steve Smith feel guilty’ and question the ethics of his captaincy.
However, during the press conference, Smith appeared to have asked a question to set up his answer. The Australian captain, given responsibility for the Perth Test while Pat Cummins was unavailable, took the moment to take a dig at Panesar by referencing his viral appearance on the quiz show Mastermind. Smith joked about Panesar’s incorrect answers, from calling Athens part of Germany to describing Oliver Twist as a season. Panesar, however, did not hesitate in his answer.
“We’ve both made mistakes. I made mine on a quiz, he made his on a cricket pitch. It’s an interesting one. I think it’s still in his head, 100 per cent. I think it’s so funny that he’s memorized the questions and answers. The best way to deviate from it is to say something really funny and comical, which I did on the show, and it will set everything in motion. “If I was in the England team now I’d be thinking: “Monty’s” I just got a piece of ammo that we can use against Steve Smith. What I’m trying to do is help the England team – this is your chance; you’re in Perth, not Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood. If you have the courage and you think it’s a good idea, tell him,” he said on BBC 5 Live.
Meanwhile, Smith also filled the role of skipper during England’s last tour of Australia in 2021-22 after Cummins was forced to self-isolate for the Adelaide Test during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the home side have also announced their eleventh player for the Perth Test.
Australia playing XI for Perth Test:
Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland
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