Panesar Plays It Cool

Monty Panesar's flying circus rolled up in his home town of Luton yesterday. The unassuming 24-year-old cricketer, described as the best finger spinner in the world by England's coach and the bookmakers' favourite for the BBC sports personality of the year award, is the unlikeliest of cult heroes.

But the first Sikh to play for the national side was mobbed yesterday by scores of youngsters at an initiative to encourage children to take up cricket. He is being seen as an important role model for young Asians and an ambassador for community relations.

Panesar says his life has not changed greatly, but he is pleased that his match-winning exploits at Old Trafford and Headingley have helped create a surge of interest in his own cricketing backyard. He finds it flattering to be associated with the sports personality award, but at the moment is concentrating on getting selected for the Ashes tour.

Panesar is modest about his status as a role model, and says the former England captain Nasser Hussain is his cricketing role model.

"It is good for cricket, if people are getting inspiration from me and taking up the game," he said as he joined in an impromptu cricket session in a park on Luton's sprawling Marsh Lane estate.

He applauded the Urban Cricket scheme, which has seen npower, sponsors of Test Cricket, handing out 60,000 kits of free plastic bats and taped tennis balls, to children around the country.

The Urban Cricket campaign is one of a number of initiatives designed to capitalise on England's success last summer in regaining the Ashes. There has been a 50% increase in participation across all forms of cricket and around £10m has been raised by the Chance to Shine campaign, which this summer has provided club coaches to reintroduce cricket to 600 state schools.