Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has opined that the Bronco test cannot be a basis for selection to Team India. His remarks come after the stars, who are a part of the Asia Cup 2025 squad, underwent the new fitness assessment in Dubai on Day 2 of their practice session. The BCCI introduced the Bronco test to assess the fitness of the players based on the recommendation of India’s Strength and Conditioning (S&C) coach Adrian le Roux.
Gavaskar opposes Bronco test
In his column on Sportstar, Gavaskar noted that every player’s body was different and that it wasn’t feasible to have one standard for all cricketers. Pointing out at how the role of wicketkeepers would be very different from that of spinners or fast bowlers, the ex-Indian opener explained that the former would be on the move for the whole day while the fitness parameters would wary for the latter.
“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. As you can see, there is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach,” Gavaskar wrote.
Gavaskar said that the most important test to determine if a player is fit enough to play for the country was mental strength which couldn’t be measured.
“The most important test for playing at the highest level for your country cannot be measured, as it’s between the two ears,” he added.
What is the Bronco test?
A player will start with a 20m shuttle run which will be followed by a 40m and a 60m run. Together, it constitutes one set. A player is expected to do five such sets (amounting to 1200 m) without taking a break. The report states that the Indian cricketers have been asked to complete the Bronco test in a span of 6 minutes. In the 2-km time trial, the benchmark for fast bowlers was 8 minutes and 15 seconds. For batsmen, wicket-keepers and spinners, it was 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
