Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is not in favour of the newly introduced Bronco test being used as the selection criterion for the national men's senior team. It must be mentioned that the Bronco test has been introduced under the supervision of India's strength and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux. The current 15-member Asia Cup squad was seen undergoing the new test during a training session in Dubai, and it definitely adds a new dimension to the already existing Yo-Yo and 2-kilometre time trial fitness benchmarks.
The Bronco test is an endurance-based fitness drill commonly used in sports like rugby and football. There is no rest period between sprints, and the test requires a continuous shuttle run, putting the athlete's cardiovascular endurance and stamina under the scanner.
Gavaskar cautioned the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and head coach Gautam Gambhir that every player has a different body type, and hence, a "one-size-fits-all approach" is not possible.
“While it is fine to have these tests to get a general idea of where a player needs to strengthen their body, having them decide selection to the national team is a tad too much. Every person’s body is different, so having one standard for everybody in the squad is well-nigh impossible. There has to be consideration given to the player’s speciality and allowances made for that,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
“For example, a wicketkeeper, who is constantly on the move the whole day, requires a different fitness level than the others. The fast bowlers will be different from the spinners, though the spinners will invariably bowl as many, if not more, overs in the day than them. The batters will need a different kind of fitness. As you can see, there is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. As long as this is taken into account and the strict parameters of the new test are not followed rigidly, then it is fine,” he added.
‘Only two words - Indian cricket’
Gavaskar said that while it is important to have fitness tests in place, one cannot discount the passion to play for the country.
“The most important test for playing at the highest level for your country cannot be measured, as it’s between the two ears. And the clincher for me is when the heart is opened, it should have only two words, ‘Indian cricket’, and nothing else,” wrote Gavaskar.
The former India captain also questioned the authorities for introducing a test like Bronco, saying he doesn't know who eventually decided to bring this into the mix.
“A new fitness test has been introduced that players must pass before being considered for selection to the national team. It is not known who takes these decisions, as there is no longer a cricket committee in the BCCI. Earlier, before the Justice Lodha panel’s recommendations, a Technical Committee used to make decisions on cricketing matters, which, of course, had to be ratified by the all-powerful working committee and then approved at the Annual General Meeting,” wrote Gavaskar.
“The Technical Committee invariably comprised former cricketers, umpires, and Board officials. Now, to the best of knowledge, there doesn’t seem to be a committee like that, so one wonders who takes the decisions related to cricket,” he added.
In the Bronco test, players are required to complete a sequence of shuttle runs — 20 metres, 40 metres, and 60 metres — five times without a break. Top athletes should finish this drill in six minutes.