England's Panesar ready to learn in Australia

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) Eighteen months ago Monty Panesar was concentrating on his degree and had yet to unleash his finger spin on the international stage.

Now as England prepare to defend the Ashes in Australia he has found himself in the spotlight and already the target of some pre-series sledging.

''I guess that these things happen pre-Ashes,'' Panesar told reporters.

''It's something you just accept, something which is part of cricket. But I think we as a squad just focus on what we need to do and we keep it within that.'' Last month in a radio interview Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath had called Panesar 'soft' because he had visited the England team's psychologist Steve Bull.

The mild-mannered 24-year-old appears to have taken it all in his stride.

''Eighteen months ago I was doing my dessertation and he probably hadn't heard of me. So if you put things into context then it is flattering that he's heard of me and knows who I am,'' said Panesar before adding that the visit to the psychologist had been with the team.

The left-arm orthodox spinner sprung to international notice in February when he was selected for the tour of India in place of the injured Ashley Giles and promptly opened his test account with the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar.

Since then he has become something of a cult hero in England with supporters turning up to test matches dressed in fake beards and patkas, the style of turban Panesar wears to hold his long hair.

TWO SPINNERS Panesar, the first Sikh to represent England, has played 10 tests and taken 32 wickets with a best match tally of eight for 93 against Pakistan in Manchester in July.

Despite his rapid rise up the ranks, Panesar is not guaranteed a place in the Ashes side now fellow left-arm spinner Giles, an integral member of the team that won in 2005, is fit again after almost a year out with a hip problem.

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