THE M - AGILITY TEST: TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY AND SEX-SPECIFIC NORMATIVE REFERENCE VALUES IN PROFESSIONAL CRICKETERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL MEASUREMENT STUDY

Abstract

Background. Change-of-direction (COD) ability is integral to cricket, yet most agility tests applied to cricketers were devised for other sports and may not reflect the short, multi-directional efforts characteristic of the game. The M-Agility (Mirani Agility) test is a novel, equipment-light COD test whose measurement properties have not previously been reported.

Objectives. To establish the test–retest reliability of the M-Agility test in professional cricketers, to generate sex-specific normative reference values, and to examine, transparently, its relationship with the established Illinois Agility Test and other field-fitness measures.

Methods. One hundred fifty-five professional cricketers (100 men, 55 women) completed the M-Agility test. A subsample of 60 athletes (30 men, 30 women) repeated the test after 5–7 days for reliability and additionally performed the Illinois Agility Test. Analyses were conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics v23 and stratified by sex throughout. Relative reliability was quantified with the intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC(3,1)]; absolute reliability with the standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC₉₅), coefficient of variation (CV) and Bland–Altman limits of agreement. Normative percentiles were derived for each sex.

Results. M-Agility times were normally distributed within each sex (Shapiro–Wilk p > 0.05). Test–retest reliability was moderate in relative terms but strong in absolute terms: ICC(3,1) 0.66 (95% CI 0.40–0.82) in men and 0.69 (0.44–0.84) in women, with CV ≈ 2.1–2.5%, SEM 0.25–0.28 s and MDC₉₅ 0.70–0.79 s; no systematic change between sessions was observed (p ≥ 0.07). Within sex, M-Agility times were not associated with Illinois times (men r = 0.10; women r = 0.06; both p > 0.6); the apparently strong pooled correlation (r = 0.66) was shown to be an artifact of sex aggregation. Men were faster than women (9.18 ± 0.34 s vs 10.13 ± 0.42 s). Sex-specific normative percentiles are presented, and acceptability among athletes was high (mean 4.65/5).

Conclusion. The M-Agility test demonstrates acceptable test–retest reproducibility and provides usable sex-specific normative standards for professional cricketers. Within this homogeneous elite sample it behaved as a measure distinct from the longer, weaving Illinois test; criterion validation against a construct-matched COD test in a more heterogeneous sample is recommended before the test is used for selection decisions.