Cricket star Monty
Panesar has braved
recent criticism of
his performance to
emerge stronger
then ever for his
upcoming tour of
India. AW profiles the
man behind the bat
English cricket has been rejuvenated recently
with the emergence of a shining star from the
East (well, Luton actually!) in the form of
Monty Panesar. The nimble-fingered, left-arm
spin bowler has blazed a trail of excitement
and, most importantly, given fresh hope to
England’s often ropey cricketing prowess.
Monty, real name Mudhsuden Singh Panesar,
was born on 25th April 1982 in Luton,
Bedfordshire, to immigrant Indian Punjabi
parents, who settled in the UK in the late
1970s. He has achieved the notable feat of
being the first Sikh to represent a nation other
than India in Test cricket. When not helping
England to victory, he plays county cricket
for Northamptonshire. But Monty doesn’t just
flex his sporting brawn, he also exercises the
grey matter as he has a degree in Computer
Science.
A charismatic character both on the cricket
pitch and off it, Monty is loved by British fans
and commentators alike. Over the years, he
has been given various nick-names to match
his exuberant personality, including The
Montster, The Python (a reference to comedy
show Monty Python), Sikh of Tweak (given
by Australian cricketer Shane Warne), The
Beard to be Feared and most popular, The
Turbanator.
A deeply spiritual person, Monty actively
practices Sikhism and has been quoted as saying,
“I follow Sikhism, and maybe I’ve channelled
the discipline that religion creates into my
cricket. There’s discipline with any religion,
and you can take it into a game or into anything
else.”(The Sunday Times, August 2006)
In keeping with the tenets of his faith, Monty
wears the Patka at all times during play and in
training, and has uncut hair and a full length
beard. He famously refused to remove his
headgear when it was suggested that all the
England players should have a uniform look.
As much of a star off the pitch as on it, the
stylish Monty has a keen eye for fashion, and
has graced such high-profile men’s magazines
as GQ and Esquire.
Monty has taken on board recent criticism
of his bowling performance and the lack of
variation in his shots by preparing himself
to play club cricket in Sri Lanka ahead of
the much-hyped Test series against India this
month.
