''Staged'' WWE fights stopped Monty from emulating Hulk Hogan

London, June 27 (UNI) A WWE-crazy Monty Panesar would've gone on to break bones rather than bowling off-breaks had he not come to know that the professional wrestling bouts were a television gimmick and were actually fixed! According to the England spin sensation's brother Isher Panesar, it was after the startling revelation that 'Incredible' Hulk Hogan gave way to Shane Warne as young Monty's idol and he switched his attention to cricket.

''Monty always wanted to play cricket for England -- well, at least, after we found out the wrestling wasn''t for real, that it was all fixed,'' Isher was quoted as saying by 'The Sun'.

''We were always wrestling in the house, me and Monty, but when he heard that the WWF wrestling was all acted, he was too competitive to want to do that any more.

''People seem surprised how much he was appealing in the Third Test at Old Trafford but he has always had that competitive streak, that thirst for wickets,'' he added.

Isher, who plays for Luton Indians Cricket Club and bears an uncanny resemblance with his more famous sibling, said the only team Monty ever wanted to play for was England.

He defended Monty's much-criticised excessive appealing by saying that it came natural to him.

''You can't stop Monty from being Monty, just like you shouldn't try to stop Kevin Pietersen being Kevin Pietersen. The game needs personalities,'' he added.

UNI