Face-saver in Ashes debacle, Panesar wins Beard of the Year award

London, Dec 28 (UNI) England may have lost the battle for urn to arch-enemy Australia but Monty Panesar has a reason to celebrate after the left-arm spinner edged out ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Archbishop of Canterbury and Inzamam-ul Haq, among others, to win the ''Beard of the Year 2006'' award.

The Beard Liberation Front (BLF), an informal network of beard wearers, said in a press release that Panesar has finished on top, narrowly beating Castro.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and veteran trade union leader Paul Mackney were tied for the third place after a vote of BLF supporters for the hirsute person who has made the most impact on public life in the year 2006.

Other nominees for this year's award included author Bill Bryson, broadcaster Bill Frindall, politician George Galloway, journalist Christopher Howse, broadcaster Brian Perkins, author Terry Pratchett, broadcaster Tom Robinson, Stilton cheesemaker Richard Rowlett, actor Ricky Tomlinson, Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia and musician Robert Wyatt.

Panesar, first Sikh player to don England jersey, has been a front-runner for the award right from the beginninng and BLF organiser Keith Flett told BBC Radio Northampton that it was combination of facial hair and on-field heroics which tilted the scale in the spinner's favour.

''He may have a beard for slightly different reasons, but at the end of the day it's still a beard, and it's a magnificent beard.

''Obviously it's his bowling, but I think his beard may well play a role there. The Aussie batsmen are probably a bit bamboozled as they see the beard coming towards them and, you know, that's it - off they go back to the pavilion,'' Mr Flett reasoned.

Incidentally, Andrew Flintoff had won the inaugural edition of the award back in 2004 and was declared joint winner, along with Paul Mackney, last year for his gingery-blond designer stubble.

Fighting a lost Ashes battle in Australia, Flintoff did not feature in the nominations this year as his ''beard has declined during 2006'', according to the BLF statement.

The ''Beard of the Year'' award is a prize awarded in December of each year in the United Kingdom by the BLF to acknowledge someone in the public eye who has created positive publicity for the wearing of beards.

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