Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has said that Shreyas Iyer’s game is not suited for swinging conditions technically at this point and that was the reason why the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee decided not to pick him for the upcoming England tour. Iyer showed brilliant form in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 480 runs in five matches at a stunning average of 68.57 and two centuries to his name. A lot of people expected that with ace India batter Virat Kohli retiring, Iyer would be a suitable replacement for him at No. 4, but that wasn’t the case. “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,” Panesar said while speaking to The Hindustan Times. “Shreyas Iyer’s got a very good technique against flat tracks and bouncy pitches. I think the swinging conditions, maybe his technique, don’t line up at the moment. That’s what I think,” Panesar added. The former England cricketer advised Iyer to play county cricket in England to stake a claim in the Indian Test team. “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 Tests, he needs to find a county and play a season of county cricket,” Panesar said. “And then, prove to the selectors that his technique is up to standard against a swimming string and ball,” Panesar added. After being asked about the exclusion of Iyer from the Test side, Agarkar said that he is a special cricketer and an excellent asset for the side in white-ball cricket. Agarkar’s statement came as a surprise to fans, as Iyer has been playing well and stacking runs at both national and international levels. Iyer’s stocks, in the Test scheme of things, have seen a drastic fall ever since he was left out of the central contracts in 2024. India play England in the first of five Tests from June 20 in Leeds.