Monty to face racial abuse Down under: Brearley

London, May 30 (UNI) Monty Panesar will be subjected to racial abuse Down Under if he is selected for England's Ashes tour later this summer, feels former captain Mike Brearley.

Rowdy Australian fans, renowned for their rude comments might take the Indian-born England offie to task with ''racist mockery'' during their tour to defend the Ashes title, Brearley was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.

''Racism has been an alleged feature of recent Australian cricketing crowds, complained about by Muttiah Muralitharan and by the South African team,'' he said.

The former Ashes legend believes that Panesar might not be able to handle the rowdy fans and may find it difficult to maintain his composure like several others before him. The racist taunts hurled on touring teams by the Aussie supporters was recently under the ICC scanner, which found them guilty of abuse.

Cricket Australia had to issue warnings to the fans following ICC's comments.

''Will Panesar be able to keep his head, and to improve rather than decline, under such pressure?'' he said, adding, ''He looks a steady young man, but he will need a lot of pluck and support to thrive when his every on-field move in Australia becomes the object of what is likely to be, in some part, shamelessly abusive and even racist mockery.'' UNI XC PG PM PM1445