Yo-Yo for selection? Fitness test founder and ex-Juventus coach has advice for teams
Mumbai: The Yo-Yo fitness test, which has become a necessity for a selection in the Indian cricket team has sparked major debate all around the nation. While many top cricketing nations still continue to use it, former India players have questioned the importance of test over skill.
Recently, Mohammed Shami was dropped from the historic Test against Afghanistan after failing to meet the required benchmark while Ambati Rayudu, who resurrected his career in the Indian Premier League (IPL), was also removed from India’s ODI squad for the upcoming tour of England. Even Sanju Samson was left out of India A squad relating to the same reason.
Dr Jens Bangsbo, a Danish sports scientist was the founder of the Yo-Yo test in the 90s, backed the use of the test but said that skills and mental capabilities also should be considered as much as fitness.
“The test is a tool to measure the individual’s capacity. What is more important is to use this as a tool to measure and get better. This is a useful tool to find out how we train and how to improve the training to get the players fitter. This is how it is used by football clubs and that’s the constructive way. But the question is whether skill and mental capabilities are also important in a particular sport. Of course, there should be a basic fitness level for them to execute their skills well,” the former Juventus FC and the Denmark national football team assistant coach was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
With a score of 16.1 being a minimum benchmark for selection in Team India, Bangsbo said that the requirement wasn’t tough but added teams should be cautious for using it as a selection criterion.
“Since the level (16.1 for Team India) isn’t that high, I can sense that they are expecting a minimum fitness level in their players. You may say that a player can perform well despite not reaching that level but as a team, if it wants a certain minimum fitness level as part of its culture, 16.1 isn’t tough. Extremely fit footballers hit more than 20, sometimes 21 also. In any case, the capacity of a player and the sport which he is playing needs to be factored in to arrive at an ‘ideal’ benchmark. But to use it for selection is different: I again say, you have to be careful about it,” he continued.
He stressed out that players should not be rushed into the test and first-timers, in particular, should be well prepared.
“To get a proper assessment, the players need to be well recovered. It can be difficult if you have done a lot of work before that. You’ve to make sure they are well recovered and are not rushed into this test. Whatever test you do, you need to be familiar with it. Which means you need to be careful if a player is doing the test for the first time. Generally, one should be familiar with the test before using its results (for selection),” the 60-year-old added.
