Since BCCI has made it mandatory for selection, Yo-Yo test has become a thorn in the flash for Indian players. It was introduced to test the fitness level of the players, who are selected to represent the Indian team. Each and every player has to pass the unique Yo-Yo test, failure to do so results in the axing of that particular player.
How it works
It is a very difficult test to clear, only supremely fit players can successfully clear it. In the Yo-Yo test, a player needs to shuttle between two cones that are set 20 meters apart on the ground. It has different speed levels generally, a player starts from the speed level 5 and gradually the speed gets increased. A player gets few reminders from the physio to keep the pace, but three official warnings mark the end of the test. Every International team has set different speed levels as the qualifying mark. For an instance, India has set 16.1 as the qualifying speed level, which means every Indian player has to score 16.1 to pass the test.
Players who suffered
Since it's introduction, some of the well-known names in Indian Cricket have failed to clear the test. Just a few days back Indian pacer Mohammad Shami, who was originally there in the squad for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan, wasn't able to play as he failed to clear the yo-yo test. We all know that Shami is the premier bowler in Test matches for India. Like Shami, promising wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson also failed to get through the Yo-Yo test and was replaced by Ishan Kisan in India A squad.
The latest victim of the yo-yo test is Ambati Rayudu. The players selected for the limited-overs leg of the England tour were at the NCA to take the test along with the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. Rayudu fell well short of the desired cut-off marks. The test result means the middle- order batsman has to wait for his comeback in the limited overs side.
Experienced left-hander Suresh Raina was included in the squad in place of Rayudu. It will be interesting to see how Raina performs in the testing English condition. He hasn't scored that many runs in the domestic cricket this year. The hard-hitting batsman from Delhi, Rishabh Pant, who had a terrific IPL, would have been a better choice.
All the players mentioned above are in terrific form. But couldn't make it to the Indian team as they failed to pass the Yo-Yo test. And sometimes you wonder why? Rayudu had a brilliant domestic season, scoring tons of runs for his state team. He played particularly well for CSK in the recently concluded IPL.
Fitness is important agreed but it cannot be the only criteria for selection. It seems that cricketing skills are becoming secondary in front of the so-called Yo-Yo test. A player works hard to get into the national side, it is heartbreaking for a player to not get selected because of the one particular test, which has nothing to do with cricket. Cricketing skills of a player must be given more importance along with fitness. BCCI should rethink the strategy on Yo-Yo test.
After all, cricket is a game where batsmen need to score runs and bowlers need to take wickets for their team. Cricket is more of a mind game, players who are mentally strong are able to perform well under the pressure situation of a match. Mental strength is more important than physical strength in the game of cricket. If yo-yo test was taken say 20 years back, a lot of star players would have struggled to make it to the team. Back then players were picked solely on their cricketing skills and of course, they had the fitness to play the game of cricket.
Eventually, it is a game of cricket, not the 100-meter race that you are participating. Since the advent of T20 cricket, it has become a power game. While it has made the game of cricket more exciting to watch for the spectators but patience which is the important aspect of the game, has gone missing from cricket.
