"England’s own Bishan Bedi to play in India" - Monty Panesar recalls a newspaper headline ahead of Mohali Test in 2006

Former England spinner Monty Panesar opened up an interesting anecdote ahead of the Mohali Test in India in 2006, keeping in mind Moeen Ali's first international appearance in Pakistan. Panesar recalled being referred to as "England's own Bishan Bedi".

Panesar, whose parents are from Punjab, wore whites for England for the first time back in March 2006, making his debut in the first match of the series in Nagpur.

The left-arm spinner picked up three wickets, including dismissing Sachin Tendulkar, but the match resulted in a draw.

In his column for The Telegraph, the former England cricketer recalled how a newspaper referred to him as England's Bishan Singh Bedi ahead of the Mohali Test.

"My special moment came in 2006 when I made my Test debut in India. The second test was at Mohali, which could not have been a bigger occasion for me. My father’s younger brother, who lives in Patiala, was reading the newspaper and saw an article headlined ‘England’s own Bishan Bedi to play in India."

Moeen Ali, whose parents were born in Pakistan, will lead England in place of Jos Buttler in the first T20I in Karachi. In his column for The Daily Mail, the veteran all-rounder claimed he had been looking forward to the trip since he was 18.

---

"It is going to be an immense experience for Moeen" - Monty Panesar

Moeen Ali is one of the most exciting all-rounders today. (Credits: Getty)

Panesar underlined that while the occasion would be massive for Ali, he hopes the all-rounder doesn't get bogged down by it. The 40-year-old also hailed England for evolving in diversity.

"It is going to be an immense experience for Moeen and I hope he is able to focus on cricket, rather than letting the occasion get to him. England has come a long way as a nation when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and while some may more has to be done, Moeen's instillation as captain of England is a huge step forward. If you go to Eastern Europe, the story is far worse."

It is also England's first tour of Pakistan since 2005, when the tourists played three Tests and five ODIs, losing both segments. After the seven-game T20 series, England will return for three Tests in December.