Monty Panesar, the former England spinner, believes that Shreyas Iyer should play county cricket in order to secure his place back in India’s Test squad. Iyer was not considered for the upcoming five-match series against England.

India selected Sai Sudharsan, who earned his spot after two successful seasons with Surrey in county cricket.

Panesar, who accumulated 167 wickets in 50 Tests, noted that Iyer’s game is well-suited to flat and bouncy pitches. However, he feels that Iyer needs to refine his technique to cope with swinging and seaming conditions. He also emphasized that Iyer should demonstrate his ability by performing well in county cricket to convince the national selectors of his readiness for the Test team.

“Shreyas Iyer has a solid technique for flat tracks and bouncy pitches, but when it comes to swinging conditions, I feel his technique isn’t good. His hands seem a bit stiff, and he doesn’t have the soft touch needed to play the swinging ball late. He’s a player who tends to come hard at the ball, which isn’t ideal in swinging conditions,” Panesar said.

“His game doesn’t seem to be fully suited to these conditions right now, which is why the selectors might have looked at other players whose techniques are better suited for swing and seam. To make it into the Test team, I believe Shreyas Iyer needs to consider playing county cricket,” Panesar added.

“If he’s serious about Test cricket, he should play a full county season to prove himself,” he concluded.