When does the Ashes 2025-26 start, as Smith mocks Panesar's Mastermind failure

Smith was sacked as skipper for his role in the notorious ball-tampering scandal in 2018, but is leading the side again because of an injury to Pat Cummins.

Read also: Ben Stokes calls upcoming Ashes ‘biggest series’ of his England captaincy

Read also: England triumphs over India to secure spot in Women's Cricket World Cup semi-finals

Panesar, who retired in 2016, recently called on travelling fans and media to barrack Smith over what happened seven years ago.

He played Mastermind three years after hanging up his bat and his woeful performance, getting all but one of his general knowledge questions wrong, was used by Smith to hit back.

On the quiz, Panesar said that America was a “city”, he thought an adaptation of the Wind and the Willows was called “Harry Potter,” answered “Oliver Twist,” when asked which season was Keats referencing, and answered that Germany used to play home football games in “Athens”.

The Australian told a press conference: “I’m going to go off topic here, who in the room has seen Mastermind, and Monty Panesar on that?

“Those of you that have will understand where I’m coming from. If you haven’t, do yourself a favour because it is pretty comical. Anyone that believes that Athens is in Germany, that’s a start, or that Oliver Twist is a season of the year and America is a city.

“It doesn’t really bother me, those comments. That’s as far as I’ll go with that one.”

Panesar, who played 50 Tests for England between 2006 and 2013, was able to see the lighter side of Smith’s jibe.

He told PA: “The best way to deviate from it is say something completely funny, comical, what I did on the show and it will move everything on.

“If I was in the England team right now, I’d be thinking ‘Monty’s just given us a piece of ammunition that we can use on Steve Smith’.”

The mind games have begun, but here is when the cricket will be.

When does the Ashes start?

The first test of the 2025-26 Ashes will be held in Perth from Friday, November 21, and will conclude by Tuesday, November 25.

All of the Ashes fixtures

All five tests will be played even if one team has an unassailable lead.

• Test one: Perth, November 21-25,
• Test two: Brisbane, December 4-6,
• Test three: Adelaide, December 17-25,
• Test four: Melbourne, December 26-30,
• Test five: Sydney, January 4-8

Ashes odds

According to Oddschecker, Australia are at 8/13 to win the Ashes, England are 9/4 and a draw is 9/1.

How to watch the Ashes

TNT Sports is broadcasting the whole series on television, while subscribers can also watch it online via the Discovery+ app and website.

England squad for the Ashes

• Ben Stokes (captain)
• Harry Brook (vice captain)
• Jofra Archer
• Gus Atkinson
• Shoaib Bashir
• Jacob Bethell
• Brydon Carse
• Zak Crawley
• Ben Duckett
• Will Jacks
• Ollie Pope (wicket keeper)
• Matthew Potts
• Joe Root
• Jamie Smith (wicket keeper)
• Josh Tongue
• Mark Wood

Australia squad for the Ashes

• Steve Smith (captain)
• Sean Abbott
• Scott Boland
• Alex Carey (wicket keeper)
• Brendan Doggett
• Cameron Green
• Josh Hazlewood
• Travis Head
• Josh Inglis (wicket keeper)
• Usman Khawaja
• Marnus Labuschagne
• Nathan Lyon
• Michael Neser
• Mitchell Starc
• Jake Weatherald
• Beau Webster

Who has won the previous Ashes’ series?

As Australia are holders, they only need to draw the five-test series to retain the Ashes.

Australia have won 34 series and England have won 32, winning their most recent title in 2015.