Mohammad Kaif shares his views on Yo-Yo fitness test

Players need to clear the Yo-Yo test with a qualifying mark of 16.1 or better to break into the India side.

A player ought to clock 16.1 in Yo-Yo test to be eligible for India selection | Getty

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 exceptional fielder, Mohammad Kaif, reckon it is unfair on players to get dropped from the side on the basis of just the Yo-Yo test.

"Fitness is important as we have that the fielding standard of the Indian team has improved a lot. But there should be a balanced approach. If a player is scoring runs and taking wickets, dropping him solely on the basis that he could not pass the 'Yo-Yo' is not good," Kaif told PTI.

Despite being the fourth highest run-getter in IPL 2018 for Chennai Super Kings, Ambati Rayudu was left out from India’s ODI squad for England tour after he failed to clear the Yo-Yo Test. Before Rayudu, India speedster Mohammad Shami was snubbed from the one-off Test against Afghanistan for the same reason.

"When I was in the team, there was test (beep test) to know the fitness of the players but never was a player dropped from the team. He would be told that his fitness level was not good and will have make improvements in the next few months," Kaif asserted.

He also found it strange that Rishabh Pant is being tried as an outfielder in 50-over cricket.

"Rishabh is basically a wicketkeeper but he has been made to field everywhere. I believe he will not be comfortable with that," Kaif opined.

"With captain Virat Kohli setting an example in fitness standards, the team is doing very well and that is reflecting on the results," he further said.

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.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 03 Nov, 2018

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