Monty Panesar had his dream come true on Friday, when he was named in the England squad for the forthcoming tour to India.
Panesar, full name Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, who was inspired by Indian legend Bishen Singh Bedi, will become the first Sikh spinner to play for England.
The 23-year-old Panesar impressed everyone last season with a haul of 46 wickets at 21.5 runs apiece for Northamptonshire in eight county championship matches. The left-arm spinner is regarded as one of England's brightest spinning talent, in a country where quality spin bowlers have become a rarity.
Monty, who was born in 1982 in Luton, Bedfordshire has already represented the England Under-19 team.
Panesar bowled medium pace until he was 13, but then luckily for England decided to take up spinning.
However, his life took a drastic change after spending a month at a Nanaksar farm near Edmonton in Canada, where he met a guru of the Nanaksar sect of Sikhism.
"To go to Canada and meet the master was fantastic, the defining moment in my life. He told me to go home and concentrate on the cricket, to go full whack and give it my passion. That's what I aim to do. He has really motivated me," Panesar had said in an interview to The Guardian.
"Now I've met the master, I'm not worrying about the past or the future, I'm living in the moment."
No doubt, his biggest acid test will be in India when he pits his skills against some of the the best players of spin. Then it will become clear whether he is ordinary or extra-ordinary!
Photograph: Getty Images
