In a significant move, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has opted to introduce a more flexible approach to its existing fitness criteria for team selection, affecting both the men’s and women’s cricket teams. The decision, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, comes as CSA acknowledges the need to strike a balance between rigorous fitness standards and the practical realities faced by players.
Under the revised guidelines, players will still need to meet a minimum fitness standard as mandated by CSA. However, a notable change is that failing to complete the two-kilometer run within the stipulated time will no longer be an absolute barrier to selection. This adjustment aims to ensure that players who display exceptional cricketing skills and contributions are not unfairly sidelined due to a singular fitness test result.
Addressing past challenges
The catalyst for this change can be traced back to a series of unfortunate instances in the recent past. Several prominent players, including former captain Dane van Niekerk and wicketkeeper-batter Lizelle Lee, found themselves sidelined after failing to meet the stringent fitness requirements. Van Niekerk’s inability to complete the two-kilometer run within the time limit and Lee’s weight exceeding the prescribed limit had led to their exclusion from matches and opportunities to participate in overseas leagues.
It is worth noting that van Niekerk’s fitness test failure occurred during a treadmill-based assessment, where she fell short by a mere 18 seconds. This marginal shortfall led to her being omitted from the T20 World Cup squad. Both van Niekerk and Lee have since retired from professional cricket.
Unchanged fitness benchmarks for 2023-24 season
Despite the introduction of a more flexible approach, CSA emphasizes that the fitness benchmarks for the upcoming 2023-24 season will remain consistent. Male players are still expected to complete a two-kilometer run in under 8.30 minutes, while their female counterparts have a target of under 9.30 minutes.
To maintain accountability and ensure a reasonable level of fitness among players, CSA will continue to conduct fitness tests twice during the season. The first round of testing will take place just before the commencement of competition in September, followed by a mid-season assessment in December-January.
Players who fall short of the two-kilometer run time or recommended skinfold measurements will now be subject to the discretion of national coaches regarding their participation. This adjustment acknowledges that fitness is just one facet of a player’s overall contribution to the team and aims to prevent undue exclusion based solely on fitness test outcomes.
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