My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s peek behind the curtain on what drives sports stars to greatness. And for the second in the series, we feature Monty Panesar. A larger-than-life character, Panesar gained a cult following during his England cricket career that took in 50 test appearances between 2006 and 2013, becoming one of the most successful English spin bowlers of all time, with some memorable Ashes performances to boot.
Panesar is perhaps best known for his charisma away from cricket, a persona thrust back into the limelight this week after stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith’s bizarre decision to call out Panesar’s infamous appearance in Celebrity Mastermind in 2019. Smith was reacting to Panesar’s attempts to stoke the fire ahead of the latest Ashes series, claiming England should try to upset the skipper by rehashing the infamous sandpaper ball-tampering controversy of 2018.
Speaking from Sydney ahead of the launch of BallsApp, Panesar gave his response to Smith’s jibes, looked back on his career highs and lows and what becoming the first member of the Sikh community to represent England meant to him.
I was just trying to rattle Australians. And it clearly worked. The real stars are the England players but maybe just mentioning it probably got the team more buzzed up.
Anything to give a bit of a mental edge to the England team. Smith memorised the questions and the answers. I’m guilty of bad general knowledge. I’ll put my hand up.
Put me in a pub quiz, I probably won’t be the best at it. But at least I’m not guilty of ball tampering. I’d rather be guilty on a bad quiz show than on a cricket field.
It’s completely backfired on the Australians. Look what’s happened. 19 wickets fell on day one, they thought they were on top.
Monty is a No 11 and he was just saying things, as pundits and commentators do, and you’ve taken it to that extreme! There is a bit of mental weakness and England capitalised on it.
Look at the way he (Smith) batted in Perth. He wasn’t himself at all. It was a completely different Steve Smith to we know. England have a bit of a psychological edge on him now.
‘I was happiest when I played for England,’ says Panesar (Photo: Getty)It was part of my master plan! I’m a Celebrity Traitor, deviating your thoughts elsewhere. If they (England) lift the urn, I want to be there with the guys!
I was happiest when I played for England. I was on top of my game and I had the best time in my life. Monty Mania was there. I was bowling well, getting the best players out.
The Cardiff Test (in 2009 against Australia) stands out. I’m not known for batting but it gets replayed all the time, any time there’s an Ashes series there I am.
It all started for me at Luton Town Indians, with a dream for the cricket club to get one player to play for England and somehow I was that person.
I used to hate morning training. My dad goes ‘you are getting a bit podgy, just go and do a couple of laps, play a bit of cricket’. Next thing I fell in love with the game and ended up playing for England.
Growing up, I never thought I would be the first Sikh to play for England. I just wanted to play one Test match, but I ended up playing 50 and I never thought I’d get a cult following.
I remember when my dad went to Lord’s, the ball was thrown at me and a crowd erupted, and when he asked what’s that noise all about people said, ‘your son is coming on to bowl.’ Then it kind of sunk in for him.
I brought this bucket hat and I never got a chance to wear it. It was so expensive but never get round to wearing it. I should have brought it here and gone on Bondi Beach.
Panesar took 167 Test wickets at an average of 34.71 (Photo: Getty)I should not have read the press as much as I did when playing. When I first got into the team, I used to read positive stuff. And then when things didn’t go so well, I’ll read the negative stuff. When I spoke to some of the other greats of the game they’d be like ‘switch off, don’t worry about it, it’s just a noise.
It wasn’t that big a reaction to the Mastermind performance at the time. I knew I messed up the general knowledge because it gets to you.
I went out for a meal with my friends and I said I’m going to switch my phone off as Mastermind is airing and I think I could be a trending topic. And half an hour later I switched it on, when the desserts arrived, I was trending, Monty Panesar on Mastermind.
That’s all it was. People just see me as a character, a funny guy who gets things wrong. I laugh at myself. It doesn’t bother me and obviously when Steve Smith pulls it up I thought I’m not going to back down now, am I? It’s probably 2-0 Monty now.
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I wish I had trained all the other aspects, not be so obsessed with bowling. Be smart about my training. I had the kind of personality to be a good all-rounder.
When I was younger, I used to score hundreds, but I just focused more on my bowling and if I hadn’t, I could have probably played some of the T20 leagues around the world.
I was just so obsessed with being as perfect a left-arm spin bowler. If I was in this team now it would be different, I’d be getting into my power-hitting position!
I had so many rituals. I always put the right shoe on, always started to bowl with my right foot. When I got to the ground, I would read a newspaper and have a cup of English breakfast tea every time just to relax myself.
I needed that time to just self-reflect, be in my own company, get familiar with the dressing room. That was so important for me. If I didn’t do it, I would be like panic mode, unsettled, overthinking, ‘Am I going to perform well today? Have I done my training? Did I get my breakfast in the morning right?’
I’ve done a master’s in sports journalism, so hopefully I can build my career as a sports pundit and presenter, maybe have my own podcast. For now I’ll be trying to ruffle things up in Australia.
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