What Are Bronco And 2K Tests? BCCI's New Fitness Criteria Explained
Players will only be selected if they meet the minimum fitness benchmarks through standardised tests such as the Bronco and 2-km run.
The increasing demands of modern-day cricket, coupled with the growing number of franchise leagues around the world, have made it difficult for cricketers to maintain peak fitness throughout the calendar year. Even though Indian players do not participate in any franchise league apart from the Indian Premier League (IPL), which runs annually for two months, the recurring spate of injuries has raised alarm bells, especially with the team set to compete in the ICC Cricket World Cup next year.
A report in The Times of India has claimed that the BCCI and the team management are not happy with physio Kamlesh Jain over the repeated breakdown of players and the overall dip in fitness standards.
The report also added that the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) is set to introduce a uniform fitness programme, which had been lacking in the past, to assess players.
Players will only be selected if they meet the minimum fitness benchmarks through standardised tests such as the Bronco and 2-km run, indicating a shift from prevention to a more rigorous approach.
What's the difference between Yo-Yo, Bronco and 2K Tests:
Yo-Yo Test
First introduced under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, the Yo-Yo Test is a shuttle-run fitness assessment designed to measure a player's speed, endurance and recovery ability. Players are expected to complete 20m shuttle runs at increasing speeds with short recovery breaks
As per the BCCI's latest guidelines, a player has to attain a score of 16.5 to pass the Yo-Yo Test. The previous benchmark was 16.1. It was the primary fitness assessment parameter for the Indian team before the introduction of the Bronco Test.
Bronco Test
The Bronco Test was introduced to Indian cricket last year by the BCCI's strength and conditioning coach, Adrian le Roux. While the test may be new to cricket, it has long been used in rugby as a high-intensity running drill.
The Bronco Test assesses a player's cardiovascular fitness in a simple yet challenging manner. Four markers, or cones, are placed at distances of 0m, 20m, 40m and 60m from a starting line. A player starts at the baseline (0m) and performs a series of shuttle runs.
Once the player completes all three shuttle runs to the 20m, 40m and 60m markers, one set is completed. In a single set, the player covers a total distance of 240 metres.
The player must complete a total of five sets of the 240m circuit without any rest, thereby covering a total distance of 1,200 metres. Upon successfully completing all five sets, the player's time is recorded.
The 2K Test
A player has to cover the two-kilometre distance in the shortest possible time. This measures a player's endurance and cardiovascular capacity. In short, it tracks how long a player can sustain a high level of effort. The CoE has set the benchmark of 9-10 minutes to complete the 2k run.
India Cricket Team