Go for Panesar

England insisted Monty Panesar's personal problems were behind him as they included the spinner in a 17-man squad for the defence of the Ashes in Australia.

Long a fans' favourite for his sheer enthusiasm and undoubted ability to spin the ball, the left-armer found himself making the wrong sort of headlines last month after he was fined by police for urinating on night-club bouncers in Brighton on England's south coast.

It was all too much for the 31-year-old's then employers Sussex, who promptly released Panesar, now completing the season on loan at rival county Essex.

But the fact remains Panesar is England's second best spinner behind off-break bowler Graeme Swann, a point emphasised by the wretched Test debut of Lancashire left-armer Simon Kerrigan, whose eight wicketless overs in the drawn Ashes finale at The Oval last month cost 53 runs.