Sussex's Monty Panesar should go to Australia as England's second spinner for the Ashes.

That's the view of former England spinner John Emburey, who believes the left-armer's experience makes him the best back-up option should first-choice slow bowler Graeme Swann get injured.

Panesar played the most recent of his 39 Tests in the 2009 Ashes opener at Cardiff and also took on the Aussies in the 2006/07 series, which England lost 5-0, returning 10 wickets at 37.90 from three Tests.

Although Swann has taken over as England's number one spinner, Panesar's game has improved in his first season at Sussex and Emburey says that should give him the edge over Yorkshire's Adil Rashid and Kent's James Tredwell.

"I think it will be very difficult to have Adil Rashid there as the second spinner," said Emburey, who took 147 wickets for England in 64 Tests.

"He's a very, very good cricketer but I don't think he's quite ready yet to be the frontline spinner if Graeme Swann gets injured.

"I just feel that he needs to develop a little bit more, he needs to have a little bit more consistency and control over line and length. Once he has nailed that down he is going to be a contender and he is going to challenge Graeme Swann.

"Tredwell had a great finish to the season but probably hasn't done enough or got wickets under his belt - although he has got wickets at the right time. But he will be in the frame also in terms of one-day cricket.

"Then you have got Monty Panesar, who would be my favourite to go as a second spinner purely because if Swann does get injured then Panesar has been there before, he has performed in international cricket, he has been a match-winner.

"Although the Australians got after him in the last series [in Australia] he got wickets. He has bowled very well for Sussex this year; I think the move from Northamptonshire has done him the world of good. He's become a better player and he's become more competitive and I think he deserves the opportunity to go out to Australia.

"If Swann gets injured then Panesar naturally comes in as the number one spinner and would be a good replacement."

Swann is currently ranked as the second best bowler in Test cricket just behind South Africa paceman Dale Steyn and Emburey says the Nottinghamshire all-rounder deserves that billing.

"Graeme Swann has got a huge amount of attributes. He gets a lot of drift, he gets a lot of spin, he deceives batsmen in flight and has got great changes of pace. To many people, including myself, he is the best finger spinner if not the best spin bowler in world cricket.

"What he's got now is control, which is the key. He knows what he wants to do and can get the ball in the right areas at the right pace. He's top-quality in the field too - whether its in the slips or the outfield - and he can get you very useful runs, quick runs, in one-day and Test cricket.

"He's a complete cricketer at the moment and a match-winning performer for England and I don't know what would happen if he wasn't in the side or he gets injured in Australia because we do rely on him a heck of a lot at the moment in terms of our results."