Other than the Yo-Yo test that has been happening for a few years, the players eyeing a spot in the Indian national team now have to clear another speed and endurance test over a distance of 2 km, a time trial test.
The benchmark for fast bowlers would be 8 minutes and 15 seconds while for batsmen, spinners and wicket-keepers, it would be 8 minutes and 30 seconds. The new test doesn’t replace the existing Yo-Yo test but comes as the second fitness assessment that the players would now have to clear.
“The Board felt that the current fitness standard played a huge role in getting our fitness to the next level. It is important to take our fitness level to another level now. The time trial exercise will help us to compete even better. The Board will keep updating the standards every year,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by the paper.
The elite athletes, like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, etc. would be expected to clear the new test in lesser time (8 minutes and 6 seconds). The minimum yo-yo test score for the players, meanwhile, remains 17.1.
All the BCCI contracted players have already been informed about the new test and the passing criteria after it got the necessary approval from BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. The said tests will be carried out in February, June and August/September.
The players who were a part of the Test series in Australia have been exempted from undergoing the test in February but those who will be selected for the limited-overs series would be required to clear the test.
Ramji Srinivasan, who is a former Indian team trainer, rates the Time Trial test over Yo-Yo and has also branded it the “most effective”. “It is more functional towards cricket. This will test speed, threshold zones, how you plan your running pace. And you can’t cheat as this is time-based,” he said.
