The Ashes: Australian captain Steve Smith aims strange Mastermind jibe at Monty Panesar

Australia captain Steve Smith delivered a bizarre jab at former England player Monty Panesar on the eve of the first match. Ashes Test.

Panesar, who played 50 Tests between 2006 and 2013, said last week that England should make Smith feel “guilty” over his role in the 2018 ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal.

Smith was sacked as captain following the ball-tampering episode against South Africa, which is often used by England fans to mock the 36-year-old.

In what appeared to be a set-up between Smith and a journalist, a question about Panesar’s comments was asked within two minutes of the pre-match press conference at Perth Stadium.

Panesar had told a gambling website: “Ben Stokes and the England team need to make Steve Smith feel guilty and play on that.

“Say something like, ‘I don’t think it’s ethical for him to be the captain, I don’t think he played the game fairly.’ Really get into him and make him feel guilty.”

Smith responded by referencing Panesar’s 2019 appearance on the BBC television show Celebrity Mastermind, when he got just one correct answer in the general knowledge round. The left-arm spinner had correctly answered six questions on Sikhism and its history in the specialist test.

“I’m going to go off topic here,” Smith said. “Which one of you in the room has seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar about this? Any of you?

“Those of you who have done it will understand where I’m coming from. If you don’t, do yourself a favor because it’s pretty comical.

“Anyone who believes that Athens is Germany, Oliver Twist is a season of the year and America is a city, those comments don’t really bother me. That’s as far as I’ll go with that one.”