Steve Smith's Bizarre Monty Panesar Mastermind Rant Shakes Ashes Eve

In a truly unexpected twist on the eve of the Ashes, stand-in Australian captain Steve Smith launched into a bizarre and well-rehearsed rant targeting former England spinner Monty Panesar, rather than letting recent provocative comments lie.

The Mastermind Retort

The confrontation was sparked by Panesar's recent call for travelling English fans and media to barrack Smith over his role in the 'Sandpapergate' ball-tampering scandal from seven years ago. Panesar had stated Smith should be made to feel "guilty" for his temporary leadership role, standing in for Pat Cummins.

Instead of dismissing the remarks, Smith took a curious detour during his press conference in Perth. In what appeared to be a prepared response, he attempted to discredit Panesar by referencing the spinner's gaffe-ridden 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 journalists. He then detailed some of Panesar's most illogical answers from the show, which went viral at the time.

Smith encouraged those unfamiliar to "do yourself a favour because it is pretty comical," specifically citing Panesar's beliefs that Athens is in Germany, Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and America is a city.

Team Selection and Tactical Implications

Beyond the verbal sparring, Smith's diatribe, while drawing laughs from the room, suggested Panesar's comments may have succeeded in getting under the skin of a batter crucial to Australia's Ashes campaign. Going after a player who last featured in Test cricket in 2013 is an unusual move for a captain on the eve of a major series.

Smith also used the press conference to confirm the Australian XI for the first Test. The team will feature two 31-year-old debutants. South Australia seamer Brendan Doggett has been selected as Josh Hazlewood's replacement, edging out Michael Neser. Meanwhile, Jake Weatherald will step up as opener.

With the return of Marnus Labuschagne at number three, all-rounder Beau Webster was the unfortunate player to miss out, despite 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."