Monty Panesar's [Images] star continues to rise and already the left-armer has broken into the world's top 10 bowlers.

He is England's [Images] highest-ranked spinner for 30 years.. the best since the legendary 'Deadly' Derek Underwood!

But there is a cloud on the horizon and it's a problem England captain Michael Vaughan [Images] wants to nip in the bud before negative attitudes start to affect his new talent's performances.

Cricket fans across the world find Monty very appealing.. but that's the problem, critics say he is appealing too much.

The 25-year-old took 23 wickets at an average of 18.69 in the series victory over West Indies [Images], but, especially during the Third Test in Manchester, he was warned by the umpires for over-appealing and told to calm down his energetic style.

"We all love Monty Panesar," says his skipper. "He appeals, he celebrates with a high-five and misses the odd high-five and he's brilliant for the game.

"We don't want to see that taken away, we love watching that kind of thing in the game. If it gets too much and his appealing with every ball then maybe we'll say something then.

"But at the minute he's a young lad having fun, bowling brilliantly and entertaining a lot of people so let him continue.

"We're in a position of maybe taking characters out of the game."

At Old Trafford Panesar became the first England spinner in a decade to claim a 10-wicket haul as the West Indies slumped to a 60-runs defeat on a wearing final day wicket which prompted plenty of appeals for lbw and bat-pad catches.

He was spoken to on a couple of occasions by umpire Aleem Dar, who tried to calm him down, but escaped a charge and a hearing in front of match referee Alan Hurst.

It was a sensible way of diffusing the tense situation on the final day, but Vaughan is wary of this week's criticism and the impact it may have in the future.

"Monty is very approachable and if you tell him to calm it down a bit he will do, but he's an excitable character," added Vaughan. "He's good for the game and he's good for everyone.

"It's a lot better having someone who is appealing too much than someone who doesn't appeal at all, because you know he's creating chances.

"We just want to see him continue having fun and showing the same control with the same expertise. He's got immense ability so let him continue and if he thinks a batsman is out then he's going to appeal.

"For a 25-year-old who hasn't played a huge amount of cricket. I think he's doing a great job, and I think he's going to improve pretty quickly - he's certainly a quick learner."

Panesar does admit that he got "carried away", but insists his outbursts have nothing to do with gamesmanship.

"Perhaps I need to calm down a little but my enthusiasm is such a key part of how I am as a cricketer," he said. "When I saw the ball bouncing and turning so much at Old Trafford I just got carried away because it doesn't happen like that very often.

"But I'm definitely not trying to pressurise or intimidate the batsman or the umpire. That just isn't me.

"Aleem Dar had a word with me at one point, telling me to make sure I appealed before celebrating a wicket but I don't think he was getting annoyed with me.

"In fact, he was laughing at my behaviour. He said to me: 'I know you're getting excited, just take it easy.'

"I think most umpires know what I am like now, I've been the same since I was very young. But I've never been warned by an umpire for excessive appealing. Sometimes I have been told to calm down a bit but that's all.

"You can't play international cricket without trying to be as competitive as possible, but with me what you see is what you get - I am always smiling and excited because I just enjoy playing so much."

Panesar has enjoyed an outstanding start to his international cricket career.

Thrust on to the tour to India last winter due to Ashley Giles' long-standing hip injury, Panesar made his mark by claiming Sachin Tendulkar [Images] as his first Test victim and followed that with impressive displays against Sri Lanka [Images] and Pakistan.

His 16 wickets in the series victory over Pakistan, including six wickets on an unresponsive surface at Headingley, convinced England they finally have a world-class match-winning spinner on his hands.

Panesar has also shown great control, underlined by an economy rate of only 2.58 from his first 10 Tests, a return which compared favourably with Shane Warne [Images] (2.64), Stuart MacGill (3.16) and Muttiah Muralitharan (2.39).

And when the big test came in an Ashes Test in Perth Panesar responded in the required fashion, taking five for 92 and becoming the first England spinner to claim five wickets at the WACA.

Unlike predecessor Giles, who was a predominantly defensive bowler, Panesar achieves his impressive economy rate by attacking and pinning the batsman down in a similar manner to Warne.

The Luton-born spinner, the first Sikh to play for England, now belives he has won over any doubting fans.

"I got a mixed reaction from English crowds - some people were laughing at me," admits Panesar.

But now he's the best since Derek Underwood, no-one is laughing anymore.

- Copyright PA Sport 2007

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