1.YO-YO TEST AND THE FITNESS CONUNDRUM
Fitness is an important part of any sport.
Important in cricket as well.
But it shouldn't be the only criteria for deciding a team.
Fitness in cricket is like having good handwriting. Helps a lot in theory exams but when it comes to solving MCQs, you need something more than that.
Fitness levels in cricket can't be compared with fitness levels in other Sports.
No Sport in the world is played across 5 days or for that matter 8 hours at a stretch (as it happens in an ODI game.)
Most sports are played for 90-180 mins, the duration of a T20 match, and in these Sports agility and strength training are an integral part. Importantly, while you have to be involved in every minute of other Sports, cricket offers you a safety that half of the time you will be rested provided your bowlers aren't as bad as Sri Lankans.
And thus my point is- You can never compare the fitness of a Beckham with that of a Sachin.
I am in no way trying to make a point for Yuvraj Singh here but consider Yuvraj of 2011 Worldcup.
He was harbouring a tumor in his chest and coughing up blood on field.
If today's standards of fitness, the so called YO-YO TEST, which is based more on agility and strength rather than endurance, had been applied then, Yuvraj would have been out of Worldcup and we might have never won it. I just wonder if someone like Dravid and Laxman who weren't the swiftest and most agile of players would have passed the test. Having said that they were fit enough to bat days together, which requires an altogether different levels of fitness..
Also, Sehwag for most part of his career was overweight and yet was fit enough to be alongside only Don Bradman, Brain Lara and Chris Gayle to have scored 300 in an innings twice in test matches. Chris Gayle, mind you is considered a statue on the field. He hardly moves. But when he puts on a helmet and picks up a bat we all know what havoc he is capable of creating!!
While I completely agree Yuvraj is nearing his end, I just feel selectors are playing it safe to call his ouster from the team on the basis of fitness rather than runs, which Yuvraj has scored aplenty this year, if you take out the last 3-4 innings.
Also, it sends a wrong message to other players as someone like MS Dhoni who is clearly below par with his batting can now be afforded a safety of occupying a place in the team only because he is fitter than the young and talented Rishabh Pant.
2. NBE SCAM
So, Dr. Batra has been accused of a corruption scam and has been removed as the head of National Board of Examinations, the body responsible for conducting NEET.
And it has been only one year since NEET exams started..
This is fucking disgraceful.
How impotent are we as a nation that we can't conduct a single exam transparently and that too when the whole set up of the examination is based on a successful module adopted by USA for many years hassle free..
Atleast learn from Anu Malik and Pritam on how to make copied thing a hit but NBE has even failed at that it seems..
I don't understand why are only such people like Suresh Kalmadi, N Sreenivasan, and Dr. Batra appointed to these posts?
We need more people like Dr. Anand Rai, the doctor responsible for whistleblowing the Vyapam Scam who was later disowned by RSS and BJP for exposing the truth. Yet, he was successful in bringing the scam in open.
Why are such honest men never appointed to important posts where honesty and integrity are of utmost value?
What is the difference between your government Mr. Narendra Modi and the UPA Govt?
Just making better speeches ain't gonna work everytime.
P.S. For those who might be thinking- but there are no scams this Govt is involved in as of now, my sincere advice is to wait for the 2nd term before we judge them.
Most scams of UPA came out only in its 2nd term. I just hope this Govt doesn't follow in the UPA Govt's footsteps..
~ Devashish
Fitness is an important part of any sport.
Important in cricket as well.
But it shouldn't be the only criteria for deciding a team.
Fitness in cricket is like having good handwriting. Helps a lot in theory exams but when it comes to solving MCQs, you need something more than that.
Fitness levels in cricket can't be compared with fitness levels in other Sports.
No Sport in the world is played across 5 days or for that matter 8 hours at a stretch (as it happens in an ODI game.)
Most sports are played for 90-180 mins, the duration of a T20 match, and in these Sports agility and strength training are an integral part. Importantly, while you have to be involved in every minute of other Sports, cricket offers you a safety that half of the time you will be rested provided your bowlers aren't as bad as Sri Lankans.
And thus my point is- You can never compare the fitness of a Beckham with that of a Sachin.
I am in no way trying to make a point for Yuvraj Singh here but consider Yuvraj of 2011 Worldcup.
He was harbouring a tumor in his chest and coughing up blood on field.
If today's standards of fitness, the so called YO-YO TEST, which is based more on agility and strength rather than endurance, had been applied then, Yuvraj would have been out of Worldcup and we might have never won it. I just wonder if someone like Dravid and Laxman who weren't the swiftest and most agile of players would have passed the test. Having said that they were fit enough to bat days together, which requires an altogether different levels of fitness..
Also, Sehwag for most part of his career was overweight and yet was fit enough to be alongside only Don Bradman, Brain Lara and Chris Gayle to have scored 300 in an innings twice in test matches. Chris Gayle, mind you is considered a statue on the field. He hardly moves. But when he puts on a helmet and picks up a bat we all know what havoc he is capable of creating!!
While I completely agree Yuvraj is nearing his end, I just feel selectors are playing it safe to call his ouster from the team on the basis of fitness rather than runs, which Yuvraj has scored aplenty this year, if you take out the last 3-4 innings.
Also, it sends a wrong message to other players as someone like MS Dhoni who is clearly below par with his batting can now be afforded a safety of occupying a place in the team only because he is fitter than the young and talented Rishabh Pant.
2. NBE SCAM
So, Dr. Batra has been accused of a corruption scam and has been removed as the head of National Board of Examinations, the body responsible for conducting NEET.
And it has been only one year since NEET exams started..
This is fucking disgraceful.
How impotent are we as a nation that we can't conduct a single exam transparently and that too when the whole set up of the examination is based on a successful module adopted by USA for many years hassle free..
Atleast learn from Anu Malik and Pritam on how to make copied thing a hit but NBE has even failed at that it seems..
I don't understand why are only such people like Suresh Kalmadi, N Sreenivasan, and Dr. Batra appointed to these posts?
We need more people like Dr. Anand Rai, the doctor responsible for whistleblowing the Vyapam Scam who was later disowned by RSS and BJP for exposing the truth. Yet, he was successful in bringing the scam in open.
Why are such honest men never appointed to important posts where honesty and integrity are of utmost value?
What is the difference between your government Mr. Narendra Modi and the UPA Govt?
Just making better speeches ain't gonna work everytime.
P.S. For those who might be thinking- but there are no scams this Govt is involved in as of now, my sincere advice is to wait for the 2nd term before we judge them.
Most scams of UPA came out only in its 2nd term. I just hope this Govt doesn't follow in the UPA Govt's footsteps..
~ Devashish
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