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Cricket-Panesar returns to roots for inspiration
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-08-11 10:45 "I'm not looking too far ahead," he said. "But I know, if selected, that it is going to be very good for my development." His father arrived in Luton in the 1970's. A devout Sikh, he inspired Monty -- whose full name is Mudhsuden Singh Panesar -- to practise hard. As a result, Monty won a sports scholarship from Stopsley High School in Luton to Bedford Modern, a fee-paying school with a sports pedigree. From Bedford, he won a place at Loughborough University where he studied computer sciences and continued playing cricket. He began his career with Luton Indians and then progressed via Dunstable Town to play for Bedfordshire. At 19, he was given a winter place at the national cricket academy. He moved to county cricket with Northamptonshire, but attributes his current success, in particular, to Australian Rodney Marsh who, during his academy days, taught Panesar the lessons that made him a test cricketer. "MAGIC BALL" "I used to think that the way to get someone out was to bowl a 'magic ball', but he made me realise that was wrong, that you needed to keep a tight line, control things, remain patient and use your cricket sense," said Panesar. "He taught me a lot of cricket sense." Marsh's down-to-earth approach has also helped the easy-going Panesar. His recent rise to fame has not affected his life, his family or his friends. "I try to stay level-headed," he said. "Things have not changed a lot. My friends are the same with me and I am still the same old Monty at home. "It is great to be recognised and it is good for cricket. But it is not something that has bothered me." As a sporting graduate of Luton's Asian community, he is mindful of his responsibility as a role model. "I am aware of it, but I am not the first Asian to play for England and I still look at others, like Nasser Hussain, as my role model," he said. "After all, he was captain and he played 96 test matches. So I've got a long way to go!"
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