Former England spinner Monty Panesar made headlines recently when Australia’s stand-in captain for the first Ashes Test, Steve Smith, recalled his infamous “brain-fade” incident on the quiz show ‘Mastermind’.

The Australian player advised reporters to watch Panesar’s mistakes on the quiz show, like confusing the location of Athens and referring to America as a city, calling it comical.

Smith’s comments came in response to Panesar’s suggestion that both fans and players should target the Aussie batter during the Ashes, for his involvement in the 2018 “Sandpapergate” controversy. However, Monty hit back after being mocked by the legendary cricketer.

“It’s flattering and entertaining to think that he chose to talk about me before one of the most important days of his career, when he’ll be leading Australia against England in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins,” Panesar wrote in his column for the Telegraph.

“I can’t believe he memorized the video. I have to admit, I’m thrilled to have gotten so far inside his head, but if I can do that, just imagine the damage Ben Stokes and his team will cause once play begins in Perth,” he added.

In his response to Smith’s comment, Panesar wondered if the Australian batter could look himself in the mirror, considering his role in the Sandpapergate.

“We’ve both made mistakes, but at least mine happened on a celebrity quiz show. He committed a blunder on a cricket field, and we both have to live with them. If I’m guilty of anything, it’s having poor general knowledge, and that’s certainly better than being a cheat.

“I’d actually ask Steve if he can look at himself in the mirror and accept that he was part of ‘Sandpapergate,’ the most shameful instance of Australian cheating in history.”