Cricketers need to be more fit than ever. Why? They need to play cricket almost throughout the year.
So there’s no option but to maintain a high level of physical and mental fitness. And we often see players undergo several fitness tests these days.
By now, you must’ve heard of the Yo-Yo Test many times. But now a new fitness test has emerged in cricket – the Bronco test.
While it’s not a completely new test, many rugby teams use it to check their players’ fitness levels.
But what exactly is the Bronco Test?
It’s nothing fancy, actually. Think of it like another fitness test, though designed more specifically for rugby players. But now we will see its implementation in cricket.
The Bronco test is an intensive drill that involves running. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it’s not!
This rugby-style fitness test is more demanding. It helps evaluate players on parameters like aerobic endurance, speed, and stamina.
So, how does the Bronco test work?
The setup for the Bronco test is relatively simple. Four cones are kept 20 metres apart from each other.
The first cone should be at the start point (zero metres), with the next at 20, 40, and 60 metres. The setup’s done, and now comes the actual test.
A player begins the test at the start point, runs to the 20-metre cone, and returns to the start point. Then they set out for the 40-metre cone before returning to the base. And finally, they run back and forth the 60-metre distance.
This is one complete set. And players do five such sets without any rest in between. Yes, no brakes whatsoever!
A player runs 240 metres in a set. And five sets mean a player runs 1200 metres without any break. The time taken by a player to complete five sets is recorded. The lower the time, the better the performance.
Watch how it happens here:
How does the Bronco test help?
See, cricket is a high-intensity sport. There’s a lot of running involved on the ground. Add to that sudden direction and speed changes.
Batters need to be quick between the wickets. Fielders need to chase the ball and throw it back. And fast bowlers need to run in hard to deliver balls at a consistent pace.
All this requires a lot of endurance and stamina. And this happens for a long, continuous period, with little time for recovery in between.
So the Bronco test helps determine a player’s physical and mental capacity to perform through such high-intensity activities.
What’s the difference between the Bronco test and the Yo-Yo test?
While both tests involve running, there’s a difference in their framework.
The Bronco test focuses on continuous endurance. Players can’t take a break before they finish five sets.
The Yo-Yo test, though, assesses a player’s intermittent endurance. Players do a 40-metre sprint between two cones before a 10-second recovery period.
Since the Bronco test is a continuous activity, it’s tougher than the Yo-Yo test. But the Yo-Yo test is more ideal for cricket given there’s stop-start action on the field.
Nevertheless, both fitness tests fulfil the main criteria of checking a player’s fitness level with their challenging nature.
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