There has been a huge hype surrounding around the Yo-Yo endurance test – a mandatory parameter set by the Indian team management for a place in the national side.
The recent instances of players failing the test and subsequently getting snubbed from the team have only proved how serious the Indian team management and BCCI are about fitness.
While the majority of fans and cricket experts have supported the Indian team management and BCCI’s stance on fitness, some of the former players including the great Sachin Tendulkar reckon it is unfair on players to get dropped from the side on the basis of just the Yo-Yo test.
“I feel certain fielding standards are critical. Now I haven’t done the Yo-Yo Test. We had the beep test, which is more or less similar. But that shouldn’t be the only criterion,” Tendulkar quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
“It should be a mixture of fitness and also looking at the ability of a player. I think Yo-Yo test is important but also looking at the ability of the player and how fit or unfit the player is,” the batting legend further added.
Recently, Ambati Rayudu was left out from India’s ODI squad for England tour after he failed to clear the Yo-Yo Test. Interestingly, Suresh Raina, who has failed this test previously, was called in as Rayudu’s replacement as he passed the Yo-Yo hurdle with flying colors.
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 Afghanistan 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.
Apparently, Shami passed the obligatory Yo-Yo test and was named in the first three of the five-match Test series against England on Wednesday (July 18).
It is learnt that for the current Indian team, 16.1 and upwards was considered as the good enough ‘Yo-Yo’ score. A player ought to clock at least 16.1 in the test to be a part of Virat Kohli led national side.
