Panesar has been told he is England's number one spinner by new coach Peter Moores

Fletcher made a number of revelations about the team in a memoir released after he quit as England coach.

He said Panesar did not have an "arm ball" and that he needed to work on his batting and fielding.

But Panesar said: "I would have to say that spin was not his speciality. Duncan is a batting coach."

Panesar is the first current England player to criticise Fletcher, whose book included revelations about Andrew Flintoff's drinking while away on tour.

Speaking in his column in the Daily Mail, Panesar conceded that Fletcher had helped his progress but that his strengths were not in spin bowling.

"I have to say that he taught me a few things about bowling over the wicket - about angles and stuff like that, which kind of made sense," said Panesar.

606: COMMENT Nine lessons to remember from Fletcher's era

"But his strength was coaching batsmen.

"In the book it says I joined England without an arm ball, but Nick Cook, who coached me at Northants, taught me a lovely arm ball and I've still got that.

"I didn't like the suggestion that Northants haven't really helped much.