Cricket: Panesar Warns Against Hype

Monty Panesar is "desperate" to play in the Third test in Perth, according to England chairman of selectors David Graveney, but has also warned fans not to expect miracles if he is included.

Duncan Fletcher has been roundly criticised for overlooking Panesar in the first two Tests despite the indifferent form of most of England's attack. Fletcher and his captain Andrew Flintoff are under huge pressure to restore Panesar to the side in Perth, probably at the expense of either Ashley Giles or James Anderson, but with England already 2-0 down in the series, Panesar said fans should not cast him as any sort of messiah.

"If I am selected I'll enjoy every minute of it but there is maybe a danger that people will see me as a miracle worker, the man who can change everything on my own," said Panesar. "I am not Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan, but what I can promise is that I will try my very best for England."

Graveney said it was not his place to comment on team selection. "Monty is a fine bowler, there is no doubt about that," he said. "The combination of our bowling attack will be decided over the next 48 hours and it will be a joint call between Duncan and Freddie (Flintoff) who are the best bowlers to get us 20 wickets.

"It is not for me to say whether he should or shouldn't play. We lost the first match because we bowled poorly - the seam bowling more than anything else - and in the second we played some really good cricket and then had an hour of madness which cost us the game. There's a lot of speculation about how Monty would or would not have done.

"He obviously wants to play. He's desperate to play. The make-up of the team is important but it's how we play that is crucial."