Former Test spinner Monty Panesar has urged the England team and the UK tabloids to reignite Sandpapergate and go hard at Australian captain Steve Smith.

Panesar, who has openly admitted to ball-tampering in his autobiography, had said Stokes and co should pull no stops in trying to get under Smith’s skin.

“Ben Stokes and the England team have got to make Steve Smith feel guilty and play on that,” Panesar said to Aceodds.com

“Say something like, ‘I don’t think it’s ethical that he’s the captain, I don’t think he played the game fairly’.

“Really get into him and make him feel guilty about it. Make him feel like. ‘they’re probably right, I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be doing this.’”

Panesar said it took a leaf out of legendary Australian captain Steve Waugh and his mental disintegration mantra.

However, it’s hard to see how this would work for Smith, given his comeback series from the sandpaper scandal was the 2019 Ashes, where he plundered 774 runs at an average of 110.57, helping Australia retain the Ashes and earn man of the series honours despite the torrent of boos and abuse he received from English fans.

Smith is already looking in ominous form, averaging 115.50 from three Sheffield Shield innings, having passed 50 on each occasion.

But Panesar believes it shouldn’t just be on the field, urging the UK tabloids to pile on Smith.

“This is where the UK media must also focus and put pressure. Use it as a way to help England,” he said.

“I hope that England uses it as an advantage and don’t just get quiet about it because we know he bats well when he’s captaining Australia.”

“If it were the opposite, the Australian media would be all over it. They would have said, if it was any of the English players, ‘the cheaters have arrived’. Right?