Ravi Shastri is set to begin his second consecutive innings as India head coach, and according to certain reports, there will be a slew of changes in the fitness regime of India cricketers. India, at the moment, follow the internationally accepted yo-yo test as a way to measure the fitness of a player. But at the moment, the players are required to periodically score 16.1 in the test to be eligible to play for the country.
But, according to a report in Bangalore Times, under Shastri’s new reign, the minimum qualification mark is likely to increase up to 17. The report says that Shasti will soon hold an exhaustive meeting with all the stakeholders in the coming days to discuss the same.
A source was quoted as saying by Bangalore Mirror: “Fitness is integral to participation at the international level and the minimum qualification will be 17.”
The report adds that the new arrangement is expected to take place from India’s series against South Africa, which is set to begin from September 15.
The yo-yo- test is basically an aerobic endurance training exercise, which was developed by Danish football physiologist Jens Bangsbo. Several Indian cricketers, including India’s pace spearhead Mohammed Shami have failed the yo-yo test in the past. Apart from Shami, former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh and Kerala batsman Sanju Samson have also struggled to clear the test after it was introduced.
Following his appointment as head coach, Shastri had outlined his ambitions and what were his immediate goals with the side. “The reason why I came in here is the belief I had in this team, the belief that they could leave a legacy which very few teams have left behind which other teams going down will try and emulate,” Shastri told bcci.tv after his appointment.
“Next two years is to see the smooth transition happening. You will get a lot of youngsters coming — in both white-ball setup and Tests. You need to identify another three-four bowlers to add to the pool by the end of our tenure. My endeavour by the end of this tenure would be to leave the team in a happier space so that they can set a legacy in the time to come,” he further added.
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