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Monty Panesar refuses to back down in war of words with Steve Smith

Steve Smith took aim at Monty Panesar on Thursday, and it did not take long for Panesar to respond (Ben Whitley/PA)
Steve Smith took aim at Monty Panesar on Thursday, and it did not take long for Panesar to respond (Ben Whitley/PA) (PA Wire)
  • Monty Panesar suggested England should exploit Steve Smith's perceived guilt over the 2018 'Sandpapergate' scandal ahead of the Ashes.
  • Smith, captaining Australia due to Pat Cummins' injury, responded by publicly ridiculing Panesar's 2019 appearance on Celebrity Mastermind.
  • Panesar interpreted Smith's jibe as evidence that the ball-tampering incident still affects him, providing “ammunition” for the England team.
  • Panesar fired back at Smith, advising England to use his reaction as a psychological tactic to make him “uncomfortable” during the opening Test in Perth.
  • Beyond the verbal exchange, Smith also announced Australia's starting XI, which includes two debutants, Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald.
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