Team India have minimalist benchmark for the Yo-Yo test

The score prescribed by the Indian team management and the BCCI is lowest among the top teams of world cricket.

Shami and Rayudu recently failed in Yo-Yo test

In the last one year or so, Yo-Yo endurance test has created a lot of buzz in India’s cricketing circle as players such Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Ambati Rayudu among others have failed in this very test and subsequently left out from the team.

So, how tough it is for the Indian cricketers to crack this Yo-Yo hurdle? Are the Indian team management and BCCI too harsh on its players?

As per the reports in Mumbai Mirror, all the hue and cry concerning Team India’s Yo-Yo score falls flat if one were to look at the pass marks of other teams. In fact, the score prescribed by the Indian team management and the BCCI is lowest among the top teams of world cricket.

Reports further claim that England and New Zealand have 19 as their prescribed Yo-Yo score to select a player in the team while Australia had the same number before discontinuing with it about four years ago. For the South African players, it is 18.5 and for the Sri Lankans, it is 17.4. For the Pakistanis too, it is 17.4.

“We’ve taken it to 17.4,” Mickey Arthur told Mirror while talking from Lahore.

In contrast, India’s team management have fixed the modest benchmark for the fitness test. A player ought to clock at least 16.1 in the test to be a part of Virat Kohli led India side.

“After scoring a century, the player has to be in a position to run three. How do we know that? The Yo-Yo score may be an indication to that. Currently, we have 16.1. At some stage, we may increase it to 16.3,” a BCCI source in direct the knowledge of the test told Mirror.

Recently, Ambati Rayudu was left out from India’s ODI squad for England tour after he failed to clear the Yo-Yo Test. Suresh Raina was called in as Rayudu’s replacement. Before Rayudu, India speedster Mohammed Shami was omitted from the one-off Test against Afghanistan for the same reason. Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini had replaced Shami for the historic Test in Bangalore.

Moreover, Sanju Samson was dropped from India A squad for the tri-series in England involving England Lions and West Indies 'A'. Samson was replaced by Ishan Kishan in the touring squad.

As far as 'Yo-Yo' endurance test is concerned – it is an advanced version of the 'beep' test that was used by teams of earlier generations. The entire procedure is software-based where the results are recorded.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 21 Jun, 2018

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