VIrender Sehwag
VIrender Sehwag. (Image Credit: Twitter)

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag recently commented on the yo-Yo Test being mandatory for selection into the Indian team, saying that if the test was done back in his time, many legendary players would have failed it.

Following India’s semi-final exit from the 2022 T-20 World Cup, the infamous Yo-Yo Test, which sees players run a distance of 20 meters at increasing speeds, was reintroduced as a main criterion for selection into the team.

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Virender Sehwag, who was known more for his skill with the bat than his fitness, shared the sentiment that obsession with fitness should never take precedence over skill improvement.

Speaking with News18, Virender Sehwag claimed that if Yo-Yo Test was a mandatory criterion during his time, several players who are now considered legends would have failed to clear it, and hence would not be part of the team.

“There was a trend in the Indian team that if you fail Yo-Yo test, you won’t get a chance,” Virender Sehwag said on Monday. “If this was the case during our time, then a lot of legendary players wouldn’t have been part of the team because they would have failed the Yo-Yo test.” 

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Virender Sehwag went on to slam the idea of the Yo-Yo Test by claiming that players who are good runners should run marathons, not play cricket.

“During that time, focus was on skills. Who will win you matches: One who performs well or the one who runs better? If you want good runners, then have them run marathons, no need to play cricket. That’s what I believe.” said Virender ehwag.

Apart from Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar too had recently criticized the idea of fitness tests being the prime consideration for selection into the side

Following BCCI’s meeting, which reintroduced Yo-Yo Test as the main criteria for selection into the Indian Cricket team, the legend of the game Sunil Gavaskar criticized the move, claiming fitness test should never take precedence over “cricket fitness.”

In a column he wrote in the Mid-Day, the former Indian captain suggested that it is the team’s loss if a player, who is scoring tons and picking many wickets, is unable to make the team due to a fitness test.

“The BCCI announced recently that they are bringing back the ‘yo-yo’ test and some other tests for the fitness levels mainly for the emerging players. A player could be reeling off centuries and double centuries or picking five and ten wicket hauls while bowling heaps of overs, but if he can’t pass these tests, then he won’t be eligible for selection.” Sunil Gavaskar wrote.

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He also went on to mock BCCI’s appointment of the selection committee, claiming that the posts, currently all filled by former cricketers, should instead be occupied by body science experts, seeing that selection is now based on fitness and not current form.

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