In the last two years, the BCCI’s medical team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) has shifted its focus from fitness exams to injury prevention and performance assessments for contracted players.
The NCA team, including physiotherapists and strength and conditioning coaches, developed three proformas: the National Fitness Testing Criteria (NFTC), Performance Testing Battery, and Prevention Testing Battery. The NFTC is scheduled to be performed every 12-16 weeks, with performance testing every six weeks and preventative testing every two weeks.
The NFTC includes a 10-metre sprint test, a 20-metre sprint test, a standing long jump, yo-yo tests, and a dexa scan (fat percentage). Interestingly, the paper notes that these figures are obtained from the average of athletes in each age group and are just benchmarks.
Notably, the yo-yo and 20-metre sprint numbers are set higher for emerging players than centrally contracted players. The yo-yo mark for contracted players is 16.5 while emerging players are expected to score 16.7.
Standard fitness tests are not a ‘selection criterion’ for contracted players, as per NCA documents
As per the Times of India report, the NCA document clearly states that standard fitness tests are not a ‘selection criterion’ for players. Under the regime of coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli, fitness tests like the yo-yo test, which checks the endurance of athletes, were made mandatory for players to get into the team.
“The idea is that once a player is centrally contracted, he must have reached the desired level of fitness. With the amount of cricket and time they spend on the road, it is unreasonable for contracted players to undergo NFTC tests. So, the focus has shifted to injury prevention and performance tests.”
“Team India strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai, along with physios Yogesh Parmar, Thulasi, and Kamlesh Jain, has done a great job keeping the players in shape through the 2023 ODI World Cup and this T20 World Cup,” a BCCI source told TOI.
The preventive test has emerged as the most significant instrument. Tests include the overhead squat, walking lunges, glute bridge hold, and half kneeling medicine ball throw. These are short tests, but it is noticed whether the player can maintain proper posture throughout the tests. If the players struggle to do so, it is a sign that they are at risk of injuring themselves.
According to sources, surgery is the last option. Like in the cases of Bumrah, Hardik, Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer, the medical team tried to work around these battery tests.
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