Monty gets his skates on in pursuit of county call
MONTY PANESAR is upping his fitness in an aim to return to county cricket – by participating in DancingOnIce!
The former England spinner has signed up for the new series of the TV competition which will be shown next year, and will compete alongside rugby star Max Evans as well as a number of celebrities from the world of television and music.
And with agility, balance and footwork all a key skill to being successful in becoming the next Torvill and Dean, Panesar is hoping the competition can aid his return to cricket.
The 35-year-old has played 50 Tests for England, with the last of those appearances coming in the 5-0 Ashes defeat four years ago.
He did not play any first-class cricket in 2017, having most recently featured for Wallasey CC in the Liverpool Competition league.
Panesar also featured for Luton Town & Indians and has recently turned down lucrative offers to appear on other television shows, ranging from The Jump to I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
Now, while England’s cricketers will become regular faces in the homes of many across the winter for their performances on the pitch, Panesar is hoping his spell in the limelight will reignite his career.
He said: “This is a great opportunity to keep myself fit and motivated and try a different sport. I’m looking forward to it, it’s going to be very exciting. I’ve got a lot to learn from the dancing point of view, but I’m sure I’ll pick it all up.”
“One thing I’ve realised is that you have a lot of time on your hands as a cricketer. This will keep me occupied through the winter, but ultimately I want to play county cricket again next year, I want to play IPL and I want to make a comeback to cricket.
“I need to ring a few coaches up and, hopefully, get a trial somewhere. Then, with luck, they would think it’s worth giving me a go and see that I’m in a good place.”
Panesar’s cricket career has seen him turn out for Essex, Sussex and Northants, as well as his seven years in the England set-up.
His life took a downward spiral after being sacked from the Sussex team after being fined for urinating on bouncers during a night out in Brighton in 2013.
When playing for Essex in 2015, Panesar was made unavailable for selection due to “off-field issues”, and was axed at the end of the season.
In 2016 he spoke of his battles with mental health and the breakdown of his marriage in 2013 and had a short spell at Northants, where he made his last appearance over 15 months ago.