Panesar's enlightening experience
England's spinners are in for plenty of toil this winter and you can't say their current pairing of Ashley Giles and Shaun Udal are in the first flush of youth
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
England's spinners are in for plenty of toil this winter and you can't say their current pairing of Ashley Giles and Shaun Udal are in the first flush of youth. The leading spinner of the next generation - going by the stats - is Monty Panesar from Northants. But he didn't even make the Academy squad so, instead, headed off to Canada for an experience that you won't find in an ECB manual. David Hopps of The Guardian caught up with him to find out what it was all about:
"I have never spoken to Duncan," he said. "But now I know what is required to play for England. To go to Canada and meet the master was fantastic, the defining moment in my life. He told me to go home and concentrate on the cricket, to go full whack and give it my passion. That's what I aim to do. He has really motivated me."