"If He's Serious About Playing Test Cricket...": Shreyas Iyer Gets Blunt Advice From Ex-England Star
While admitting that Shreyas Iyer is a good batter when it comes to flat and bouncy tracks, the ex-England star said that he might not have the technique required in swinging conditions.
Right-handed batter Shreyas Iyer's omission from India's Test squad for the upcoming tour of England has been one of the talking points. With Virat Kohli leaving a void at the number 4 spot in the format, the expectations were high that Iyer might be backed to fill up the position. However, he was ignored by the the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. Former England spinner Monty Panesar has shared a piece of advice for Iyer to get his place back in the Test squad of India.
While admitting that Iyer is a good batter when it comes to flat and bouncy tracks, Panesar said that he might not have the technique required in swinging conditions.
"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," the ex-England star told Hindustan Times.
Panesar further suggested Iyer to play county cricket and prove himself in order to get selected in the Test squad.
"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," Panesar said.
"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," he added.
Shubman Gill is the captain while Rishabh Pant has been appointed his deputy as the BCCI has announced an 18-member squad for the five-match Test series against England, starting June 20. The likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair have made a comeback, while young star Sai Sudharsan too has found a place in the team.
India's squad for England Test series: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
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