New Delhi, October 09: It is not quite a case of “hero to zero”, but hero to the Highveld Lions still underlines just how far Monty Panesar has fallen in the space of 12 months.
This time last year, Panesar was England’s premier spinner; now he is off to some far-flung domestic cricket in search of sporting salvation.
England are heading in the same direction this month and will shortly name their squads for a tour of limited-over internationals and Test matches. Whether Panesar has any hope of getting a look-in remains to be seen, but his decision to sign for a South African franchise this winter suggests he believes his best chance is to be on site and readily available should injuries bite.
With all due respect to Graeme Swann – now firmly established as England’s No 1 slow bowler – and the steadily blossoming leg-spinning all-rounder Adil Rashid, Panesar’s slide down the pecking order takes some understanding. This is the man, remember, who took 120 wickets in his first three years as a Test cricketer – including eight five-fors – and included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Yousuf (all master craftsmen against spin) among his victims.
–Agenceis