Monty Panesar's Biography

Who is Monty Panesar?

He is a slow left-arm orthodox spinner for Northamptonshire and England. He was the first Sikh to play cricket for England.

Monty Panesar represented England U-19 and made his county debut in 2001 but could not participate fully as he was a full-time student at Loughborough University.

In 2005, after he graduated, Monty Panesar became a full member of the team and had a brilliant season for Northants taking 46 wickets at an average of just 21.54.

In January 2006, Monty Panesar was selected by England for the tour of India. He took 3 wickets in his first match, including that of his hero, Sachin Tendulkar.

Monty Panesar also played in the 2006 series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the latter in which he starred. In the second test Panesar took 8 wickets and Steve Harmison took 11, the only two English bowlers to take a wicket that match (the 20th being a run out).

Panesar is an England cult hero and has become a firm favourite with cricket fans, partly due to his bowling but mostly because of his poor batting and fielding. He now gets cheered whenever he fields successfully or puts runs on the board.

Monty Panesar is also loved for his celebration, in which he runs down the wicket, leaping in the air and missing all his team-mates high fives.

Monty Panesar was a surprise exclusion from England's first two Tests of The Ashes in 2006, however he was selected for the third Test and became the first English spinner to take five wickets at Perth, taking 5-92 in Australia's first innings.

Monty Panesar continued to be an important part in England's bowling armoury and on 10 June 2007 in the third Test against the West Indies, Panesar got his first 10 wicket haul in a Test. Panesar was also named England's man of the match for the series.

In March 2008, Monty Panesar took 6-126 for England against New Zealand in their second innings. His best figures to that date. In May 2008, again against New Zealand, Panesar improved his best Test figures, this time taking 6-37.

Monty Panesar is a vegetarian and he enjoys eating oranges, playing on his PlayStation, chess, and music.

In 2013, it was reported that Monty Panesar was fined for being drunk and disorderly outside the Shooshh club in Brighton.

In October 2017, ITV announced that Monty Panesar would be one of the celebrity skaters on Dancing on Ice.

However, he suffered an injury in training and was replaced before the show began by Lemar.

In 2022, he took part in the BBC Two series Pilgrimage.

In 2024, it was revealed that he would become a candidate for George Galloway’s Workers Party for Britain in Ealing Southall, west London.