BCCI asks all Indian players to undergo compulsory fitness test ahead of Bangladesh tour

Ishant Sharma reacts during the India-Australia Test series

In light of Indian players having to be sent home midway from recent tours of Australia and England, all Indians players selected for the Bangladesh tour will be subject to a compulsory fitness test before the squad travels to Bangladesh, to ensure that no member of the team carries a niggle into the bilateral series.

The normal practice is that players returning from injury only report for fitness tests. IPL franchisees are supposed to send fitness reports to the BCCI at the end of every season, but this time no chances are being taken. The fitness test will be conducted on June 6. The squad assembles in Kolkata on June 5. It leaves for Dhaka on June 7 to play a one-off Test and three ODIs, starting three days later.

“We’ve seen so many players break down mid-tour in the recent past. We want to ensure this doesn’t happen,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said.

India has big talent pool: IPL Chairman

Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had to return home for rehab during the Test series in Australia. Jadeja had been nursing a shoulder injury, while Bhuvneshwar had a bad ankle. Axar Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni were flown in as their replacements. Ishant Sharma had injured his knee in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, eventually failing the fitness Test ahead of the World Cup and Mohit Sharma replacing him in the squad.

Earlier, in England, Ishant had broken down after bowling India to a memorable victory at Lord’s, with what the team management had described as a “sore leg”.

“The consistent policy of the BCCI is that whoever is feeling fatigued he must report immediately to the secretary. For we’ve a big talent pool and a number of players are available for every slot,” said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla.

Meanwhile, Thakur said the new coach/director and support staff for the Indian team will be appointed by June 6. “You will get to know about coach and support staff before June 6,” he said after meeting BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

#TeamIndia Test: Virat (C), Vijay, Shikhar, KL Rahul, Pujara, Rahane, Rohit, Saha, Ashwin, Harbhajan, Karn, Bhuvi, Umesh, Varun, Ishant

— BCCI (@BCCI) May 20, 2015

#TeamIndia ODIs for B'desh: MSD (C), Rohit, Rahane, Shikhar, Virat, Raina, Rayudu, Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, Bhuvi, Umesh, Mohit, Binny, Dhawal

— BCCI (@BCCI) May 20, 2015