Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes Shreyas Iyer should play county cricket to reclaim his spot in India’s Test team. Iyer was recently left out of the squad for the upcoming five-match series against England.

He lost his place after the second Test in Visakhapatnam during last year’s series against England. For the upcoming series, India has chosen Sai Sudharsan, who earned his place after two seasons with Surrey in county cricket.

‘Shreyas Iyer hasn’t got the soft touch’

Panesar, who took 167 wickets in 50 Tests, said that while the 30-year-old Iyer performs well on flat and bouncy tracks, he needs to work on his technique in seaming conditions.

He added that Iyer must prove his credentials to the national selectors by performing in county cricket.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir avoids question on Shreyas Iyer’s Test exclusion: I am not selector

“Shreyas Iyer’s got a very good technique against flat tracks and bouncy pitches. I think the swinging conditions, maybe his technique doesn’t line up at the moment. That’s what I think. Because I think his hands are a bit hard. He hasn’t got the soft touch, playing late with the swing ball. Seeing the swing early and playing late, he does come hard at the ball,” Panesar told the Hindustan Times.

“So, I think technique-wise, his game probably isn’t suited for swinging conditions at the moment. And that’s why they probably thought that, give some of the other players a go whose game is suited against swinging-seeming conditions. In terms of Shreyas Iyer, to get into the Test team, I think he needs to play county cricket.

“If he’s serious about playing Test cricket, he needs to find a county and play a season of county cricket. And then, prove to the selectors that his technique is up to standard against a swimming string and ball,” Panesar added.

Shreyas Iyer in excellent form

Shreyas Iyer has been in good form recently. During India’s Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai, he was the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, amassing 243 runs in five matches at an average of 48.60, including two half-centuries and a top score of 79.

In the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season, representing the Punjab Kings, Iyer has continued his strong run. He has scored 516 runs in 15 matches at an average of 46.90, with five fifties and a highest score of an unbeaten 97.