The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has taken a major step towards health and fitness by adopting a concrete and adequate fitness test for the players of their country's cricket team. Let us tell you that in February 2021, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board adopted the '2 kilometer run fitness test' formula in place of the old yo-yo test to check the fitness level of all national players. The players are to be selected on the basis of this fitness test.
However, the surprising thing is that the player who will not be able to pass this test, his salary will be deducted. Sri Lankan team's chairman of selectors Pramod Wickremesinghe believes that players should work hard on their fitness, which will help them achieve success. In order to ensure that the players are serious about fitness, the SLC will deduct a certain percentage of the players' salary if they fail to complete the fitness test within the given benchmark of 8 minutes and 10 seconds.
Selector Pramod Wickremesinghe told the Sunday Times, “If a player has run 2km in 8.35 minutes in February 2021, he should now be able to do it in less than 8.10 minutes. We want players to really focus on their fitness. Work hard and we will not tolerate lapses in fitness." The first of the four fitness tests of players will be held on 7 January 2022. All contracted players must take the test to be eligible for national team selection.
