Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt opined on the recent reports about the Yo-Yo Test results of the Indian team including the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and others.
Reports had suggested that Gill was the fittest, achieving a score of 18.7 on the yo-yo test, leaving behind Virat Kohli, who managed 17.2. Also the same reports stated that all the Indian cricketers who participated in the Yo-Yo test comfortably exceeded the required threshold of 16.5.
Virat Kohli has been credited with bringing in the fitness-focused approach of the Indian team and under his captaincy, India developed one of their strongest pace bowling attacks in history. He is also perhaps one of the fittest cricketers in the world despite being 34 years of age.
However, Salman Butt opined that Kohli, at 34, might have been more focused on only clearing the benchmark and preserving his energy for the rest of the training camp and not going for the top score in the yo-yo test.
“I'll tell you one thing. When a player reaches a certain age and knows what the required limit is, he would simply cross it and be done with it. In the Pakistan team, we were also taking part in these fitness tests. The youngsters had this craze of pushing the limits. The seniors, no matter how fit they are, just try to cross the benchmark and let it be. They don't try to push further because it also creates unnecessary expectations,” Butt said on his official YouTube channel.
“Someone like Shan has crossed 20 scores in Yo-Yo Tests. Shadab also reached 19. We don't know how much they pushed. I remember our 2-4 bowlers who would reach 18 or 18.5 and decide among themselves to stop pushing further. You complete the benchmark and preserve your energy,” he added.
However, Butt was very critical of Rohit Sharma for not focusing on fitness as hard as Virat Kohli did. The former Pakistan captain also mentioned the two sixes that Kohli hit against Haris Rauf in the T20 World Cup last year as a testament to the India star's fitness.
“YoYo is not the only benchmark, though. You see his work, his ethics. You see his shots, the two shots he hit against Haris Rauf in the World Cup last year... not much time has gone by. Rohit Sharma didn't work as hard as he should have. He was a great talent but he didn't take care of his fitness. You just have to see both of their appearances,” said Butt.
India and Pakistan will clash on September 2nd in Kandy in their Group A match of Asia Cup 2023.
