YO-YO TEST is the highest endurance Test for any individual to get into the Indian cricket team.
As we see fitness being seen as the most important aspect to get into the Indian Cricket Team we need some benchmarks to measure the fitness of the players. The YO YO test serves to this purpose.
It is a modified version of the beep test by Danish soccer Physiologist Jens Bangsbo. The test is divided into two halves namely level 1 & 2. The level 1 is somewhat similar to the beep test whereas the level is somewhat tougher as it has greater running speeds.
Equipments Required for :-
- Flat, non-slip surface
- Marking cones
- Measuring Tapes
- Pre Recorded Audio CD of the test
- CD Player
- Recording Sheets
YO-YO TEST Procedure:-
The cones are placed in such a way that it makes two lines 20 meters apart. The athlete or the subject to be examined starts from behind one of the lines. He continues to perform shuttle runs from one line to the other on the basis of the beeps. They need to continue running between the two lines and turn around when the beep buzzes. After each minute or so the pace increases i.e. the time to complete one shuttle decreases. When the athlete fails to reach the mark within the beep then he must return to the line and try to keep with the pace in next two beeps. If the athlete fails to do so within the next two beeps then the test is stopped.
Scoring:-
The scoring is very simple in the above test. It is the number of shuttle runs the athlete or the subject before not being able to keep in with the pace. In other word the score is the number of successful runs the subject performs before the test ends.
This tough endurance test was first introduced into the Indian Cricket Team by the strength and conditioning Coach Shankar Basu before the Sri Lanka tour of the team back in 2017. The benchmark cricketers need to cross is set at 16.1. the figure is still very low as compared to other teams in the cricketing world where it is 19 for England and News Zealand and 17.4 for Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The amount of physical stress the Indian Cricketers face by the yearlong busy schedules of tours as well as hosting the YO-YO Test has become very important for the cricketers irrespective of their on field performances. The importance of fielding in a game has grown exponentially in last few decades which also needs tremendous fitness on as well as off the field. Thus any cricketer who is into India A or the National Side has to face and clear the test positively.
Advantages:-
- The can be conducted for a large number of subjects at the same without any chaos.
- The test has a minimal cost of setup.
- The test clearly discriminates the selected and the failed ones.
Disadvantages:-
- The test is performed in open thus the environmental conditions may affect the results of the test.
- The CD must be purchased for the test to be conducted.