Fri Nov 21 02:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Smith Fires Back at Panesar Ahead of Ashes Test
Perth, Australia – Australian cricketer Steven Smith has ignited a war of words with former England spinner Monty Panesar on the eve of the first Ashes Test in Perth. Smith’s unexpected attack stemmed from Panesar’s recent suggestion that the England team should needle Smith about the 2018 “sandpapergate” scandal during the series.
Smith, filling in as captain for the absent Pat Cummins, publicly ridiculed Panesar’s widely-circulated appearance on the BBC quiz show Mastermind, where the spinner made several geography and general knowledge blunders.
“I’m gonna go off topic for a second here,” Smith stated on Thursday. “Who among you in the room have seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar on that? Anyone that believes that Athens is in Germany… it’s pretty comical.”
Panesar, however, doubled down in a column for The Telegraph, calling Smith’s reaction “hilarious” and suggesting he had “got so far inside his head.” The former England spinner then hit back with a reference to Smith’s involvement in the ball-tampering incident. “I would actually ask Steve whether he can look himself in the mirror yet and admit that he was part of “sandpapergate”, the worst example of Australian cheating in history.”
He continued, suggesting that England’s bowlers should taunt Smith about the incident, “If I was Jofra Archer, I would be telling him “I’m swinging the ball even without sandpaper!”, or if I was Joe Root I’d be in his ear, “tell us how you do it mate, fine or coarse paper? Tell us the tricks of your trade.”
The heated exchange adds another layer of intensity to the already highly anticipated Ashes series. Whether this public spat will translate into on-field battles remains to be seen when the first ball is bowled in Perth.
First Piper 