'It's one of the worst you can do': AB de Villiers shares Bronco test experience as BCCI mulls new fitness regime

NEW DELHI: Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has shared his candid experience of the Bronco test, a fitness drill reportedly set to be introduced by the BCCI for Indian cricketers, calling it one of the toughest assessments athletes can face.Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers recalled his long familiarity with the test, which measures aerobic endurance and recovery ability. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I actually didn't even know when the team told me about it. I said, ‘What is a Bronco Test?' But when they explained it to me, I knew exactly what it was. I've been doing it ever since I was 16 years old. Over here in South Africa, we call it the sprint repeat ability test,” he said.The batting great admitted the drill often left him gasping for breath, particularly in challenging conditions. “It's one of the worst you can do. I very clearly remember at the University of Pretoria, also at SuperSport Park, in the cold winter mornings of South Africa, in particular, where there's not a lot of oxygen. The altitude here is, I think, 1,500 meters above sea level. So, not a lot of oxygen, and those lungs would burn,” de Villiers explained.His remarks come amid reports that India's new strength and conditioning coach Adrian le Roux has added the Bronco test to the team's fitness evaluations, alongside the Yo-Yo test and the 2km time trial.However, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sounded a note of caution, warning against abrupt shifts in training methods. “When the trainers change, the testing mechanism changes… players go through a lot of difficulty. In many cases, it could also lead to injuries,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, urging continuity in fitness systems.The Bronco test, widely used in rugby and football, requires players to complete five sets of 20m, 40m, and 60m shuttles, totaling 1,200m.