MUMBAI: The perpetually at odds Vinod Rai-led Committee of Administrators and the mandarins in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have found common ground at least in one area – the much in the news YoYo test.
While the Indian team management (read captain Virat Kohli and team coach Ravi Shastri) is “all in” with YoYo test, the selection fiasco around Ambati Rayudu has seen Rai and BCCI treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry on the same page in the matter.
Rayudu emerged one of the highest run-getters (602 runs) in the 2018 edition of the IPL but was dropped from the Indian squad after flunking the YoYo test. It sparked off a debate on what is pre-requisite – skill or fitness. “Yes, the CoA chief is aware about the recent discussions. He hasn’t interfered till now as it was a technical matter. But in the coming week, he plans to get a holistic information from head of Cricket Operations Saba Karim,” a senior BCCI official, closely working with CoA told PTI.
“Mr Rai is aware about the Rayudu and Sanju Samson case. He knows that there are contrarian views about how much importance should be given to the test. It’s not decided but he might ask for a presentation from NCA trainers about this particular test,” the official said.
According to PTI, the CoA chief may seek a second opinion from experts and a committee, comprising former players of repute along with trainers and experts might be formed for the purpose.
“It would be a more neutral view considering he (Rai) knows where the team management stands on this issue,” a source said.
BCCI treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry had earlier written a six-page letter to the CoA, questioning as to how and when YoYo test became the sole fitness criteria for selection.
“This raises serious questions about functioning of the selection process at the moment since a player who has done exceedingly well in the IPL against best of international bowling and thereafter attended NCA to work further on his strength and conditioning is selected and is then declared unfit and hence replaced,” Chaudhry wrote in his letter to CoA.
“I would therefore like to know more details about the fitness tests and weightage that is given to every component of the fitness test. I would also like to know who has devised such weightage and who all were involved in the decision-making process of the same,” Chaudhry wrote.
In a related development, Karim was summoned by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to the board headquarters here on Monday to deliberate on the matter.
Johri has asked the operations team to draft a response to Chaudhry’s email to CoA.
Not surprisingly, the Kohli-Shastri led team management has not taken kindly to the developments. As “team management” told Times of India, “Individuals who have nothing to do with cricket are busy interfering in team affairs. Saba Karim is not telling the entire truth. His remit is to stick to domestic cricket and women’s cricket, not the Indian men’s team. Instead, Karim is busy leaking stories to the media about what happens in the dressing room. For starters, he needs to confirm if his KRA (key result areas) involves interfering in Team India affairs?”
The Team India management “sources” further told TOI, “The idea of YoYo tests is not an overnight thing. It’s been designed keeping all relevant officials in the loop. It’s not a one-off either. If there are ideas from former cricketers to improve upon it, then fine. But why politicise the whole thing? If there are any questions that need to be asked, let them be with skipper Virat Kohli. Why play politics when the team is not here and is away on an important tour?”
YoYo Test is not an uncommon test in Indian cricketing circles. During earlier era, there used to be the old-fashioned beep test but that was never the only criteria for selection.
“It’s not a game of football where you are continuously running up and down for 90 minutes where your aerobic endurance is paramount. Here the batsman will run two or sometimes three. That too at intervals. And mind YoYo score doesn’t help in hitting sixes,” a former India player, who has represented the country for a decade and half told PTI on condition of anonymity.
