Pakistan team management itself confused on their fitness mantra

[Rafay Shafiq]

Pakistani team management nowadays, and rightly so, giving stress to fitness and in this regard many fitness test conducted before selection. Recently, we all know Mickey Arthur sent Umar Akmal back to Pakistan from UK during champions trophy due to failure in fitness test.

However, when it comes to player who are in good book of team management or team management deem them necessary, this fitness mantra dies down. In series against Sri Lanka, Azhar Ali fitness test not conducted due to his knee problem, and he forced to play by using injections.

Also, Yasir Shah couldn't pass fitness test, according to many insiders, but he declared fit on the day team announced as team management think that he is necessary for Pakistan in test, if want to win.

I seriously felt, that team management itself is confused on their own fitness mantra. This flexibility may be good but may also negate zero tolerance policy and provoke liking/disliking debate.

 

[Mamoon]

Khela aata nai hai aur fitness ki rat lagai hoti hai. Bench-press and push-ups are not substitutes for lack of ability and guts.

However, I do agree with you that fitness is often used as a pretext to drop/select players to the convenience of the management.

 

[CricketingMinds]

I don't agree.

Azhar and Yasir both passed the fitness tests eventually.

 

[Majestic_Inzi]

naa, for a specialist batsmen fitness is key, Yasir Shah is a spin bowler and not a fast bowler, he is doing his job.

I cant see Umar Akmal scoring a century he cant run..

 

[Rana]

naa, for a specialist batsmen fitness is key, Yasir Shah is a spin bowler and not a fast bowler, he is doing his job.

I cant see Umar Akmal scoring a century he cant run..

Your name is majestic Inzi and you make a point that was absolutely contradictory to the great name you don. Inzimam and run outs are no strangers, but scoring runs was never a problem for the big man

 

[Big Mac]

Where's the confusion?

If you have proven your fitness by passing fitness tests, you are given the leeway to play through injury.

If you have been unable to pass a basic fitness test during training camp, then you are given a plane ticket home until you learn to put down the mithai.

 

[Abdul]

Umar Akmal fans need to have some shame. Can't believe threads like this. Look at how many overs Yasir bowled during the series, he wouldn't have been able to do so if he was unfit. Their hero failed seven fitness tests in a row.

 

[Rana]

Umar Akmal fans need to have some shame. Can't believe threads like this. Look at how many overs Yasir bowled during the series, he wouldn't have been able to do so if he was unfit. Their hero failed seven fitness tests in a row.

But still, Yasir Shah is a spinner. I doubt they select him to play on the basis of par fitness, his job is to turn the ball and weave a web around the batsmen, that requires skill instead of fitness. Ranga Herath looks like the retired overseas pro at club level, but the guy is no doubt an artist when he operates with the ball.

 

[Abdullah719]

But still, Yasir Shah is a spinner. I doubt they select him to play on the basis of par fitness, his job is to turn the ball and weave a web around the batsmen, that requires skill instead of fitness. Ranga Herath looks like the retired overseas pro at club level, but the guy is no doubt an artist when he operates with the ball.

Whether the fitness test in question (yo-yo test in this case) is the best way to judge the fitness of a cricketer or not is something that can be debated.

However, the players know there is a system in place and their job is to pass the fitness tests. They should do whatever is required. No sympathy for someone like Umar who let himself go. He seems to have been working a lot more on his fitness lately - should have done the same earlier.

 

[Savak]

A so called fitness crusade and then Favoritism, selective accountability is contradictory

 

[mak36]

I see the conspiracy theorists are out in full flow.

 

[mak36]

Where's the confusion?

If you have proven your fitness by passing fitness tests, you are given the leeway to play through injury.

If you have been unable to pass a basic fitness test during training camp, then you are given a plane ticket home until you learn to put down the mithai.

Exactly. Not sure what OP is thinking.

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

Khela aata nai hai aur fitness ki rat lagai hoti hai. Bench-press and push-ups are not substitutes for lack of ability and guts.

However, I do agree with you that fitness is often used as a pretext to drop/select players to the convenience of the management.

Yasir shah failed or just pass yo yo test, mean not good in fitness but he bowled 55 overs in an inning. Now, argument rises that is bowling/batting fitness is more important. I mean may criteria relaxed for performers.

What's your opinion?

 

[Mamoon]

Yasir shah failed or just pass yo yo test, mean not good in fitness but he bowled 55 overs in an inning. Now, argument rises that is bowling/batting fitness is more important. I mean may criteria relaxed for performers.

What's your opinion?

General fitness and cricket fitness are not the same. Someone like Yasir will never do well in general fitness tests like the Yo-Yo Test, but he is a seasoned pro with close to 30k deliveries under his belt. His bowling muscles are fully developed and his endurance level is high.

Similarly, Zulfiqar Babar did not remotely resemble an athlete, but he could bowl 50 overs in an innings under scorching UAE heat with pinpoint accuracy.

All teams are a bit selective when it comes to implementing fitness criteria. India have started to take the Yo-Yo Test seriously, but their most lethargic player Ashwin, who cannot even properly bend to pick up a ball from the ground, will not be dropped on fitness grounds because his bowling fitness and performance are world class.

 

[Savak]

Fitness tests are actually more vital for batsmen and fast bowlers and fielders. Spinners can afford to get away with being Yokozonas if they are world class

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

General fitness and cricket fitness are not the same. Someone like Yasir will never do well in general fitness tests like the Yo-Yo Test, but he is a seasoned pro with close to 30k deliveries under his belt. His bowling muscles are fully developed and his endurance level is high.

Similarly, Zulfiqar Babar did not remotely resemble an athlete, but he could bowl 50 overs in an innings under scorching UAE heat with pinpoint accuracy.

All teams are a bit selective when it comes to implementing fitness criteria. India have started to take the Yo-Yo Test seriously, but their most lethargic player Ashwin, who cannot even properly bend to pick up a ball from the ground, will not be dropped on fitness grounds because his bowling fitness and performance are world class.

Agreed. But problem PCB facing is that it can't say it officially that we are relaxing criteria for performers. But it happens as with Ashwin.

 

[maxamax]

Made a thread of fitness being over-rated long ago when everyone was making fun of that point.
If a player like Sarfaraz is being cleared, and is performing relatively better than 'fit' babar/co. so we need to wipe the fitness thing away. Its a plus if there but got very little to do with the game itself.

 

[Majestic_Inzi]

Your name is majestic Inzi and you make a point that was absolutely contradictory to the great name you don. Inzimam and run outs are no strangers, but scoring runs was never a problem for the big man

Cricket has changed a lot since that era,
To play for pakistan fitness should be number 1 priority, talent is number 2. Of course this is my opinion...

 

[Mamoon]

Made a thread of fitness being over-rated long ago when everyone was making fun of that point.
If a player like Sarfaraz is being cleared, and is performing relatively better than 'fit' babar/co. so we need to wipe the fitness thing away. Its a plus if there but got very little to do with the game itself.

Fitness is not a substitute for a cricketing skills, but that does not make it overrated. Sarfraz is performing better than fit Babar because Babar does not have adequate red ball cricket experience yet, and no amount of deadlifts and bench-presses can make up for that.

However, Sarfraz will improve as a batsman if he improves his fitness and does not start panting after 50 deliveries as if he has scored a double-hundred.

These days he cannot score big to save his life. He gets tired after 50 odd balls and loses concentration, so his borderline fitness plays a role in his mediocre performance. Similarly, Haris Sohail used to tire easily in ODIs which prevented him from playing long innings.

If Inzamam had the fitness of a top athlete, he would have achieved a lot more with the bat. If we sit down and start calculating the numbers of singles, doubles and triples he missed out on due to his slow movement, we might be able to add a few thousand runs to his career.

 

[Rafay Shafiq]

Made a thread of fitness being over-rated long ago when everyone was making fun of that point.
If a player like Sarfaraz is being cleared, and is performing relatively better than 'fit' babar/co. so we need to wipe the fitness thing away. Its a plus if there but got very little to do with the game itself.

Imran and Miandad were not fit in 1992 world cup but we all know Pakistan couldn't have won without them. So you are right, it has to be balance with skills

 

[maxamax]

Fitness is not a substitute for a cricketing skills, but that does not make it overrated. Sarfraz is performing better than fit Babar because Babar does not have adequate red ball cricket experience yet, and no amount of deadlifts and bench-presses can make up for that.

However, Sarfraz will improve as a batsman if he improves his fitness and does not start panting after 50 deliveries as if he has scored a double-hundred.

These days he cannot score big to save his life. He gets tired after 50 odd balls and loses concentration, so his borderline fitness plays a role in his mediocre performance. Similarly, Haris Sohail used to tire easily in ODIs which prevented him from playing long innings.

If Inzamam had the fitness of a top athlete, he would have achieved a lot more with the bat. If we sit down and start calculating the numbers of singles, doubles and triples he missed out on due to his slow movement, we might be able to add a few thousand runs to his career.

that should be the difference between rated and over-rated.