Kapil Dev Spill Beans on the Controversial Yo-Yo Test
Jan 9, 2019 at 3:47 PM
Former India all-rounder and World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev finally opened up on the controversial Yo-Yo test and whether it can be the sole criteria for selection.
Meanwhile, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently made the Yo-Yo test mandatory to have players in the squad.
Most recently, Mohammed Shami, Ambati Rayudu, and Sanju Samson failed to pass the test and eventually missed on the vital English tour. However, Kapil feels, if the player is fit, he should play. He also batted against the much-hyped fitness test.
“If a player is match fit, he should be playing. And there should not be any other criteria,” TOI quoted Dev as saying.
Dev further went on to add that it is easy for a bowler to clear the test rather than a batsman. He cited references from football history to prove his argument.
For the legendary cricketer, performance on the field is the sole criteria for selection.
“Even football legend Diego Maradona wasn’t the fastest runner but whenever he had the ball, he was the fastest. Similarly, every cricketer has a different way of responding to fitness drill. A bowler can perhaps clear the Yo-Yo test easily than a batsman. But this isn’t the ultimate test to judge a player. It comes down to your performances on the field. Cricketers should be judged only on the basis of their on-field performances,” Kapil added.
Talking about whether former players chances of clearing the test, Kapil Dev also saw no chances whatsoever.
In conclusion, Dev took some references to prove that players have become legends without passing the test.
“Sunil Gavaskar may not have enjoyed running more than 15 minutes as a part of his fitness drill but he could bat for three days. Even the likes of Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly may or may not have cleared this version of the Yo-Yo test. But they turned out to be some of the best players India has produced,” he concluded.
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