Pucovski’s County stint cancelled after latest concussion

Will Pucovski’s five-match stint with County Championship side Leicestershire will no longer take place, after both parties agreed he should focus on recovery following another concussion. 

The Victorian was due to join the Foxes in April for their opening fixtures of the 2024 season, however suffered a nasty blow on March 3 while batting against Tasmania in the Marsh Sheffield Shield. 

It continued a horrible run of head knocks the 26-year-old has suffered throughout his career, and left him visibly ill as he left the Blundstone Arena playing area in the hands of Cricket Australia's on-duty doctor. 

Leicestershire CCC said that given the club’s season-opening match against Yorkshire was in just over three weeks, they had mutually agreed to not go ahead with the move. 

“It’s a huge shame to lose Will at this stage, but his health must come first,” Director of Cricket Claude Henderson said. 

“Given the proximity to the start of the English season, it has been agreed by all parties to allow him the necessary time to recover, and we want to wish Will all the best as he continues to recuperate in Australia.” 

Pucovski was set to join Victoria teammate Peter Handscomb at Grace Road in what would have been his first taste of County Championship action. 

His time at the Division Two club was set to include four-day fixtures at famous grounds such as Headingley and Lord’s.

Leicestershire moved quicky to sign a replacement and shortly after announced that Victoria teammate Marcus Harris - who enjoyed a profitable spell at the club in 2021 - would return for the first give games.

Pucovski, who played one Test against India in January 2021, was also struck in the head in a Second XI match in January, which delayed his Shield return following the KFC BBL break. 

However, his recovery from that knock was seen as promising. 

“To be honest, that was probably the first time I'd been hit and I didn't feel overly stressed by it. I just thought, OK, it is what it is,” he told SEN in the aftermath. 

He then sent a telling reminder of his immense talent last month when he scored his seventh first-class century in Victoria’s match against NSW at the SCG. 

However the most recent head knock, from a bouncer sent down by Tasmania quick Riley Meredith, was particularly distressing. 

Pucovski was ruled out of Victoria’s current Shield match against Western Australia, and would appear highly unlikely to play in next week’s final should the Vics qualify. 

In addition to the concussions he has suffered, the mental health struggles Pucovski has battled have also been of significant concern. 

Speaking recently on the Vic State Cricket podcast, the right-hander admitted an early retirement had already been considered. 

"Bloody close, very, very close (to giving it away)," he said. 

"It'd gotten to the stage where I'd had discussions with people saying, 'yeah, I think this is it'. I was sort of comfortable that I'd given it everything. 

"I'd had a week to think about it and I hadn't changed my mind and, to a degree, being happier in everyday life made me want to give it away more because I'm like, 'I've got too much to lose now'. 

"I spoke to this person who has worked with me and (they said), 'Will, I've never seen someone try as hard as you to try and get on top of this, bugger this, just retire, you've tried so hard, you've given it everything'. 

"They said that to me and I was like, 'I'll go one more, I've got one more crack in me'. 

"I had some discussions with psych(ologists) and they gave me these other solutions which have really done the job. It's just been one of those things where I was pretty close but I'm glad I didn't." 

Cricket Victoria said in a statement they supported Pucovski and Leicester’s decision to withdraw the right-hander from his county stint as they “continue to monitor and manage Will’s recovery”. 

Victoria captain Will Sutherland said Pucovski was in “good spirits” following his latest setback and was at the Junction Oval on day one of their clash with WA for a presentation to teammate Peter Handscomb recognising his 100th Shield match. 

Pucovski was scheduled to return to Weybridge Cricket Club in the Surrey Championship following his time at Leicestershire. A decision on whether he will still join Weybridge in 2024 is yet to be made. 

Prior to his latest concussions, he said on the Vic State Cricket Podcast he "loved it in England" at Weybridge last year and was really excited to be heading back. 

"I'm sort of in this bliss period now where I'm just loving it and just want to get as much cricket under my belt as possible," he said. 

"It's been a hell of a journey, but I've gotten to the stage now where I've found what I needed to find, and things are really starting to click."