The unexpected clash between Monty Panesar and Steve Smith has become a focal point ahead of the Ashes. Smith brought back attention to the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal during a press conference, shedding light on Panesar’s earlier remarks that went unnoticed by many cricket enthusiasts.
Panesar had advised Ben Stokes and the England team to psychologically unsettle Smith by questioning his ethics and fairness in the game. Smith, the former Australian captain involved in the sandpaper incident in 2018, strategically responded to these comments during his press conference, hinting at Panesar’s appearance on a quiz show.
Smith’s captaincy was revoked following his role in the scandal, but he is back leading Australia in the upcoming Test in Perth due to Pat Cummins’ unavailability. Panesar, a former England spinner, has reciprocated by emphasizing that both he and Smith have had their fair share of mistakes, albeit in different contexts.
The Ashes series commences soon, with England likely to opt for a pace-heavy bowling lineup. The team’s squad includes Shoaib Bashir, although the off-spinner is expected to miss out on the final XI selection.
Sky has enhanced its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle by adding HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu alongside 135 channels, providing comprehensive coverage of the Premier League, EFL, and various other sports events.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.