In a surprising turn of events on the eve of the first Ashes Test in Perth, Steve Smith used his press conference to launch a bizarre and personal attack on former England spinner Monty Panesar.
The Background: Panesar's Provocation
The confrontation was sparked by recent comments from Panesar, who called on travelling England fans and media to barrack Smith about his involvement in the 'Sandpapergate' ball-tampering scandal from seven years ago. Panesar suggested Smith should be made to feel "guilty" about his temporary return as Australia's captain, standing in for Pat Cummins.
Smith's Mastermind Retort
Rather than ignoring the remarks, Smith took a curious and seemingly pre-planned detour during his media appearance on Thursday 20 November 2025. He directly challenged Panesar's credibility by referencing the spinner's infamous 2019 appearance on Celebrity Mastermind.
"I'm going to go off topic here, who in the room has seen Mastermind, and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you?" Smith asked the assembled journalists. He then highlighted a series of the former cricketer's illogical answers that had gone viral, including the belief that Athens is in Germany, Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and America is a city.
Smith concluded, "Those of you that have will understand where I'm coming from. If you haven't, do yourself a favour because it is pretty comical... It doesn't really bother me, those comments. That's as far as I'll go with that one."
Team News and Broader Implications
While the exchange drew laughs, Smith's decision to target a player who last featured in Test cricket in 2013 suggests Panesar's comments may have struck a nerve with the key Australian batter. Away from the verbal sparring, Smith confirmed the Australia XI for the first Test.
The team includes two 31-year-old debutants: Brendan Doggett, who replaces Josh Hazlewood, and opener Jake Weatherald. With Marnus Labuschagne returning at number three, all-rounder Beau Webster was the unfortunate player to miss out, despite what Smith called a "bright start" to his international career.
"It was very tricky," Smith admitted. "I think Beau came into international cricket and lit it up immediately, so I think it's a really tough one on him. He's the one that misses out unfortunately."
