I'm not England's No. 1 spinner - Panesar

England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has said he doesn't regard himself as his side's primary spinner, ahead of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka. Panesar's spin partner on the tour will be Nottinghamshire's offspinner Graeme Swann, who impressed during last month's one-day series in Sri Lanka, but Panesar is sure to play if England opt for only one spinner in the XI.

"I don't see myself as the number one spin bowler in the side," Panesar told Reuters. "The only reason I say that is because I am still young and need to learn. That number one tag is quite a strong statement."

Panesar has played 20 Tests while Swann, who is a capable lower-order batsman, is as yet uncapped. England could also opt to play two spinners as they did during their 2-1 Test series triumph when they visited Sri Lanka in 2001.

Panesar said he was grateful for the tips he got from Muttiah Muralitharan when Sri Lanka toured England in 2006. "He said you should always try to turn the ball but not complicate things by trying to bowl too many different types of deliveries and just keep it simple."

England play two three-day warm-up games in Colombo before the first Test starts in Kandy on December 1.