The gradual occasions have turned fitness into a pivotal factor in sports and cricket has taken the same course. The game which was regarded as a non-necessity has come to the point where players must maintain their fitness and health at all times.
The cricket player’s fitness and recovery levels are checked through a very rigorous and famous test, which they have to pass. Can you figure out what the test is called?
It is the Yo-Yo test.
What is this test now? What has been going on? And what is the outcome for players?
In the following article, I will clear up everything you need to know about the Yo-Yo test in cricket.
The Yo-Yo Test
The Yo-Yo test was designed to help measure the degree of a player’s athletic performance. It is a test that is performed for a definite time but in a gradual way.
Besides that, the test helps determine a player’s cardiovascular endurance and desire to play longer, which count among the players’ qualities sought in the sport today.
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How is the Yo-Yo Test Conducted?
In the simplest terms, the competitor has to run between two cones established at a distance of 20 meters, which is almost the same as the distance of the cricket pitch.
Although this might be regarded as easy, actually it is not!
The athlete starts at Cone A, runs to Cone B, and comes back to Cone A. The player has to finish the round then he/she has one shuttle.
This shuttle is carried out and is accompanied by three beeps. It means when the first beep occurs a player starts running from Cone A, reaches Cone B before the second beep, and then returns to Cone A before the third beep.
After one shuttle is done by a player, there is a 10 seconds recovery period after which he/she can start another shuttle.
The Yo-Yo test comprises different levels that start from level 5 and can go as far as level 23. As the levels increase, so do the number of shuttles per level.
The Yo-Yo test consists of various stages that are progressively harder, starting with level 5 and going all the way to level 23. With each elevation in levels, there is a corresponding increase in the number of shuttles per level.
At level 5 a player has to run one shuttle, which lasts about 14 seconds. Level 5 gets the player up to the next level 9 which has one shuttle as well.
Then comes level 11 the next stage where the player will have to run 2 shuttles The next level 12 has 3 shuttles while level 13 has 4 shuttles. From level 14 onwards players will have to complete 8 shuttles.
The time for each shuttle gets progressively shorter and players also need to increase their speed.
What happens if a player can’t finish a shuttle?
When a player does not succeed in hitting the beep while running, he/she is warned by the coach. A second bee missed means an end of the Yo-Yo test for the player.
Yo-Yo Test Evaluation
The evaluation process is very simple. The player’s performance is assessed solely based on the levels and shuttles accomplished at the termination of the test.
To clarify, if Player A got level 17 as his maximum and did 3 shuttles before he missed the fourth, his score will be 17.3
The score of this Yo-Yo test is one of the factors that guide the selection of a player in the team and each team has a different benchmark score set.
For Indian cricket team, the benchmark score for selection purposes has been set at 16.1 as an example.
Conclusion
Cricketers have begun to take their fitness more seriously because of the introduction of the Yo-Yo test. Additionally, it establishes a fitness standard amongst the players and the team.
The Yo-Yo test is an excellent method to evaluate a player’s fitness and recovery by ensuring that the player is in good shape and ready to master the field.
