Team Management Would Decide to Proclaim the Results of the Yo-Yo Test: Vinod Rai

With every passing day, the confusion and controversy surrounding the much-talked-about Yo-Yo test which is just getting worsened. While the test has been made mandatory by the team-management, it has drawn criticism in the recent times after three players – Mohamed Shami, Sanju Samson, and Ambati Rayudu – lost their places in respective squads after flunking the test, raising queries and concerns about the test.

Paceman Shami had to face an axe from the Test squad, for the One-off Test against Afghanistan at Bengaluru.

On the other hand, Samson and Rayudu lost their respective place in the India A and senior One-day International squad.

Both Samson and Rayudu would have felt hard done by due to the test. The duo had earned the call after their brilliant performances in the recently held Indian Premier League (IPL).

Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) this season, Samson amassed 491 runs at an average of over 31 and a strike-rate of almost 138.

Well before that, he had a brilliant outing in the premium domestic competition Ranji Trophy in the previous season.

Samson scored 627 runs in seven games with the help of two tons and three fifties. He had also scored a century against the visiting Sri Lanka side, last year, in a warm-up fixture.

On the other hand, Rayudu enjoyed his most successful IPL season with the bat so far. He played an integral role in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) title-winning run in the IPL, this year.

Among the top-five run-scorers, this IPL season Rayudu scored 602 runs at a strike rate of 149.75 including a ton.

However, both the players had to endure heartbreak after failing the Yo-Yo test.

Ever since the players’ axing, many have raised doubts over the credibility of the much-touted test.

In addition, not only former players but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials have also voiced their concern over the test.

Moreover, there have been calls to make the results of the test public in order to make the process more transparent.

However, Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai had made it clear that it was for the team management to decide if the results of the tests taken by the players should be made public or not.

“See, that is for the team management to decide if they wish to release the results of the test conducted on the players,” Rai told CricketNext. 

Recently, India head coach Ravi Shastri made it clear that the Yo-Yo test would be used as a selection criterion.

“It is not my domain and I don’t wish to get into that,” he added.

However, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary had raised questions over the test by sending an eight-page letter to the CoA. 

The BCCI official asked the committee who decided that the test would be a prerequisite of national team selection.

And interestingly, the CoA took note of letter regarding the Yo-Yo Test. Not only that, the committee also saw a presentation from General Manager Cricket Operations Saba Karim. Subsequently, it is on how the test functions and its effectiveness in assessing the fitness of the cricketers.

Replying to the query on whether the CoA was happy with the presentation from Karim, Rai said: “It wasn’t really a presentation. It was an internal discussion and not something I wish to talk about.”