The Ashes 2025 has witnessed its first major confrontation even before the first ball is bowled, as Australian batsman Steven Smith and former England spinner Monty Panesar engaged in a heated exchange that has set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested series.
The Spark That Ignited the Fire
The controversy began when Monty Panesar suggested that England should use the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal as a psychological tactic against Steven Smith during the upcoming Ashes series. Panesar's comments referenced the infamous incident where Smith, alongside David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, was caught for ball tampering during the second Test match at Cape Town in South Africa.
Smith responded with a calculated counterattack during a press conference on Thursday, just before the first Ashes Test. The Australian batsman, who will be standing in for absent captain Pat Cummins, diverted attention to Panesar's embarrassing appearance on the BBC quiz show Mastermind.
Quiz Show Blunders Become Ammunition
"I'm gonna go off topic for a second here," Smith began theatrically. "Who among you in the room have seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar on that? Those of you that have, you'll understand where I'm coming from, and those of you haven't, do yourself a favour because it's pretty comical."
Smith specifically highlighted Panesar's geographical and literary knowledge failures, noting that the former spinner had incorrectly identified Athens as the capital of Germany, called America a city, and described Oliver Twist as a season of the year.
Panesar's Fiery Response
In his column for the Telegraph, Panesar fired back with equal intensity. "To think that he wanted to talk about me before one of the biggest days of his career is flattering, and nothing short of hilarious," he wrote.
Panesar expressed surprise that Smith had memorized his quiz show blunders word for word, seeing it as evidence that he had successfully gotten inside the Australian batsman's head. "If I am able to achieve that, imagine how much damage Ben Stokes and his side are going to be able to do once play starts in Perth?" he questioned.
The former England spinner didn't hold back in his criticism of Smith's past, writing: "We've both made mistakes, but at least mine was on a celebrity quiz show. His was on a cricket field, and we both have to live by them. It seems right now only one of us can."
Panesar directly challenged Smith's integrity, asking whether the Australian could "look himself in the mirror yet and admit that he was part of 'sandpapergate', the worst example of Australian cheating in history."
Tactical Suggestions for England
Panesar provided specific verbal tactics that England players could employ against Smith during the matches. He suggested that if he were Jofra Archer, he would tell Smith: "I'm swinging the ball even without sandpaper!" Similarly, he proposed that Joe Root should get in Smith's ear with: "Tell us how you do it mate, fine or coarse paper? Tell us the tricks of your trade."
The former spinner concluded that Smith had displayed "massive weakness and mental vulnerability" by engaging in this pre-match war of words, something that elite athletes cannot afford at this level of competition.
As the first Ashes Test approaches in Perth, this verbal sparring has added an extra layer of intensity to the historic rivalry. Both teams now carry additional psychological baggage into what promises to be a memorable contest between cricket's oldest enemies.
