Yo-Yo test results should not be a reason for dropping players from Indian team, says Mohammad Kaif

Once regarded as the top fielder in the Indian cricket team a decade ago, Mohammad Kaif has said that Yo-Yo test should not be a necessary criteria to select a player in the team because cricket is more about skill set and not just fitness.

“It’s (yo-yo test) not necessary. If you have the skill set and a player is scoring runs and taking wickets, dropping him solely on the basis that he could not pass the test is not good,” Kaif said on the sidelines of the Ekamra Sports Literature Festival organised by the Odisha government.

In the past two years, Yo-Yo test has been one of the most prominent criteria for a player to be selected in the team. After the Indian Premier League earlier this year, Ambati Rayudu was called back to the Indian team but his comeback was delayed after he failed a Yo-Yo test and was dropped from the squad. He later passed the test and was included in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup.

Explaining the system of the Indian team during his playing days, Kaif said that failing a fitness test during his time did not mean that the player was dropped from the team.

“When I was in the team, there was beep test to know the fitness of the players but never was a player dropped from the team. He would be told that his fitness level was not good and will have to make improvements in the next few months,” said Kaif, who played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs during his six-year career.

Kaif admitted that fitness was important in sports but insisted that it should not be the sole criteria. “The Indian team has improved in fielding and the standard keeps improving. So fitness is important and so is skills. There should be a balanced approach towards the selection criteria,” he said.

The former India international felt that the flaw in the current fielding system of the Indian team was the placement of fielders. “(Take the example of Rishabh Pant) He has trained as a wicketkeeper and he is fielding at covers. You see him at long off, covers, everywhere. He being a keeper it is uncomfortable to field somewhere else. I believe he will not be confident about that,” he explained.

But Kaif was impressed by the standard captain Virat Kohli has set for the Indian team and said that apart from Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja is one of the best fielder in the team.

“I think captain Virat Kohli has set a high fitness standard and for a fielder it is very important. Apart from him Jadeja is really good. He has great arm and his out-fielding is great,” he said.