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'Do you deserve to be captain?': Stokes, Root urged to cite 'Sandpaper Gate' in Ashes and unsettle Steve Smith
Hindustan Times caught up with Monty Panesar, who spoke about England's chances and why they should look to get under the skin of Steve Smith.
Cricket's oldest rivalry is back, and the stage is set for Australia and England to go head-to-head in the Ashes. Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have their biggest test, and it will all boil down to whether Bazball can upstage the hosts Down Under. Australia will be without their captain Pat Cummins and premier speedster Josh Hazlewood for the opening Test in Perth, and England have the best chance possible of landing the first blow; however, it won't be that easy, considering Steve Smith has a knack for raising his game, especially against the Three Lions.
The mind games have well and truly begun ahead of the Ashes opener with Australian tabloids trading barbs at Joe Root and Ben Stokes. Root, inarguably one of the greatest Test batters of the modern generation, was labelled "average" by the Australian media, and his lack of centuries Down Under has already garnered several mentions.
On the other hand, former England spinner Monty Panesar stirred the pot, saying the visitors should look to sledge Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith by referencing the Sandpaper Gate scandal in 2018. These comments were criticised by Brad Haddin, who called him a "f****** idiot", while speaking on the LISTNR Podcast.
Ahead of the first Test of the five-match series, Hindustan Times caught up with Monty Panesar, and the former England spinner spoke about England's chances and why exactly the Stokes-led outfit should look to get under the skin of Smith and ruffle some feathers.
Excerpts:
You recently suggested that England should look to sledge Steve Smith, referencing the Sandpaper Gate. Brad Haddin called you an 'idiot' in response to your remarks. Your response?
It's about winning a Test match, isn't it? Like in Perth, people say things about invisible Jofra Archer, Average Joe, or choker Ben Stokes, and it's just sort of getting into the head of it? Like, what if you can get into the psyche of Steve Smith and suddenly he doesn't score the runs? So, if he were put on the other side, let's say if England were in a similar situation, the Australian media would have, and the Australian players would have gone after the England players and the team massively.
They wouldn't have stopped. They would have really gone after the England captain if, let's say, he was caught in a sandpaper scandal. The Australian players and the media would not have put a foot wrong. We know Smith's a great player, he's a world-class player, but it's just to get into the psyche.
If you get into their psyche and suddenly he doesn't score runs and England win the Ashes, that's a brilliant strategic move. You've got to play these little games to get into the head of the Australian team. And if they look to then just back off and relax and not say anything about that or mention it, then he'll score runs. He's going to feel comfortable, and he'll score runs.
And that's what the Australian players, former Australian players, and Australian fans want. However, it's about being smart and thinking strategically. Hang on a minute, how do we get into the head of Steve Smith? People at slip cordon; you've got Joe Root clapping away, Ben Stokes, all of these guys, Harry Brook. Just reminding him, well, Steve Smith, ‘you know what you got up to as a captain? You know, do you deserve to be a captain?' Little things like that to get into his mind.
All the pressure is firmly on Joe Root. Do you see him getting a hundred Down Under and silencing the critics once and for all?
It's important for a close-fought series that Joe Root performs. You want the Ashes not to be one-sided; you want the Ashes to be very closely fought. For all the achievements that he's scored, he can score 100 and he's got a great chance at Perth to do it. We're not having two front-line bowlers there.
But I think throughout the series, he'll have a chance to do it. He deserves to get 100 in Australia, and it would be much more closely fought if Joe Root is playing well.
Coming back to the Perth Test, do you see England playing an all-pace attack?
It'll be a four-man pace attack. They'll have Ben Stokes as the fifth seamer, and this is a perfect opportunity. It's like being in India, and it's a turning pitch, and you play three spinners. You play three front-line spinners, a couple of seamers. Same thing here. This is a fast bowling pitch. This is a great opportunity for Mark Wood and Jofra Archer to seize it and then set the tone, really capitalising on this chance.
What about the pressure on Ollie Pope? He was recently removed as the vice-captain, and Jacob Bethell is also breathing down his neck.
These factors will be playing on his mind. He'll know that if I don't score runs at Perth, well, they pick me in Brisbane, but he's risen to the occasion many times. If Ollie Pope does well on this trip in the Ashes, I think he can cement that No. 3 spot for himself.
Lastly, if England are to lose the Ashes, will time be up for Brendon McCullum as the head coach?
He's achieved so much. I know they haven't really been against the big teams. I don't believe that will be the end of it. I think they will just re-jiggle the strategy. It depends on how badly they lose; what is the loss? If it's a closely fought series, then I don't think that'll be the case. However, if it's completely one-sided, then they may need to reconsider.
Do we need to bring in a new coach? Do we need to rethink our strategies? Because they haven't won a World Test Championship. They haven't beaten India or Australia in a series. That's how you get earmarked as a cricketer or as a coach. It depends on how badly they get beaten, if they do. But if they win it, then there's no question of that, is there?
