Sandeep Patil slams recent omissions based on YoYo test failure

The Indian team during a training session in Visakhapatnam last year. Pic/AFP. Inset: Sandeep Patil

The manner in which YoYo tests now have a major say in selection of the Indian team, has been slammed by Sandeep Patil, who was India's senior chief selector before current chairman MSK Prasad took over in 2016. Only recently, Ambati Rayudu, who was among the Top 4 run-getters in the just-concluded Indian Premier League, was left out of the England-bound limited overs team because he failed the YoYo test. "Look, I am not against fitness being a criteria.

I have been part of the National Cricket Academy as director where there were all kinds of tests conducted on players and I realise how important the fitness aspect is. "But I find it very absurd that a player is dropped for failing the Yo Yo test after he has been picked in the squad. In this way, you are disturbing the balance of the team; you are playing with the career of a cricketer," Patil told mid-day yesterday.

Patil did not point to any particular player, but said: "The toughest competition is T20 cricket and throughout the tournament [IPL] the players have not suffered any problems. Suddenly, they are out. What I also find absurd and wrong is that the trainer will decide on these matters. Has the trainer become a selector?"

He recalled his days as chairman of the panel where the decision-makers were the selectors. "Before every selection meeting, I used to speak to the captain, then the coach on fitness issues. That chat was followed by a discussion with my colleagues before reverting to the captain. Before each selection meeting, every selector was given a list of players who were available, fit and unfit. The selection meeting used to take place after that.

"There was no interference from the Board, captain or coach and the final decision on whether to select a player was left to the selectors alone. I must stress that no one can be 100 per cent fit and there are times when you have to take chances with niggles. We certainly did," said Patil, who was chief selector from 2012
to 2016.

Patil reiterated that a player should get another chance in the event of failing the first YoYo test. "Who knows, the player may not be in the right mental state while undergoing the test. For example, Mohammed Shami. "Now, he has been through so much [personal turbulence] of late and if he is made to undergo the test when his mind is disturbed, it's not fair. He should get another chance," said Patil.

Also Read: Virat Kohli takes YoYo test, Ambati Rayudu fails

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