Cricket fitness ought to be at its peak; not Yo-Yo and other examinations: Sunil Gavaskar

In his Mid-Day column, he writes, Many years back, when this physical fitness fad had started, we had two former team-mates who had retired and now were the managers of the team for different series that season. Gavaskar also said that neither of them were particularly fit when they played sports, but they insisted on doing long-distance running every day.
I have suffered from a condition called shin splits since I was a schoolboy cricket player. It means that even doing a couple of laps of the ground would cause the muscles around my shin to seize up and make it painful to walk. According to him, the managers insisted, and the shins became tense. Because fitness is an individual thing and there is no such thing as a one size fits all, I advised them to drop me if they were going to select the eleven runners based on who ran the most.
In contrast to spinners, quick bowlers require a different level, wicket-keepers require a higher level, and batters may require the least. Cricket fitness should take precedence. It’s a point about which perhaps the fittest Indian cricketer ever, Kapil Dev, has also previously spoken. Sunil Gavaskar could bat for three days, despite the fact that he did not enjoy running for more than 15 minutes as part of his fitness drill.
Even though players like Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly didn’t pass this version of the Yo-Yo test, they ended up being some of the best players that India has ever produced. Even though football legend Diego Maradona didn’t run the fastest, he was the fastest when he had the ball. Additionally, every cricketer responds differently to fitness drills, Kapil Dev stated in 2018.
Then, Harbhajan Singh had also slammed it. The Yo-Yo test is a new drama that, in my opinion, does not exist in cricket. This is only for football and hockey players because, unlike cricket, in this test, you can run forward once and then back. Ambati Rayudu, a highly skilled batsman, was unable to make the Indian team as a result of this test.
The Danish sports scientist Dr. Jens Bangsbo, who invented the Yo-Yo Test, was interviewed by The Indian Express in 2018. He had previously stated that the test is utilized to enhance endurance and optimize training. However, the man who has worked as an assistant coach for Denmark’s national team and Juventus FC cautioned those who use this test as a selection criteria.
If you use this as your only selection test, you should exercise caution. In sports like cricket, using it as a selection criteria requires constant caution. However, since everyone needs to be at least somewhat fit, having a lower level (6.1 on the spectrum) is not bad. However, it is up to the federations to decide whether or not to use this as a selection criterion; as there are additional qualities that one looks for in a sportsman, Bangsbo had previously stated to this newspaper.
The test is a tool for evaluating a person’s capabilities. Using this as a measurement and improvement tool is more important. This is a useful tool for determining how we train and how to improve it to make the players fitter. Football clubs utilize it in this manner, which is constructive.