On the Australian domestic circuit, Will Pucovski is regarded as one of the best young batting talents. Additionally, he made his debut for the national team in January 2021; however, concussion-related problems have impeded his growth.
In the second XI match between Victoria and South Australia last month, on January 22, Pucovski sustained his most recent concussion. The right-handed hitter took a hit to his helmet after playing a short ball that South Australian seamer David Grunt delivered. Pucovski then failed to make it through Victoria’s final-over Sheffield Shield 2023–2024 victory over South Australia in Melbourne by three wickets.
The 26-year-old has since recovered and been added to Victoria’s team for their forthcoming Shield match against New South Wales, which gets underway in Sydney on Friday, February 16.
“Unfortunately, our white-ball campaign came to an end on Wednesday, but we now turn our attention to putting together a strong Shield performance at the SCG and putting ourselves in the running to make the Shield final,” ESPNcricinfo cited David Hussey, head of male cricket at Cricket Victoria, as saying last week.
“It is fantastic to welcome back our captain, Will Sutherland for the Shield after his international debut, while it is also great to have Will Pucovski back in the squad,” Hussey said.
For the uninitiated, Pucovski was struck in the head last month and was declared free of concussions. He was unable to return to the field, though, because of delayed symptoms that he had in the days that followed.
Pucovski, who sustained a shoulder injury in his lone Test match, has participated in three Sheffield Shield matches this year, scoring a maximum of 65, and has also played for Victoria against Pakistan on tour.
Victoria has four wins, two defeats, and seven games played, placing them second in the standings. With three victories and three defeats from their previous seven games, New South Wales is ranked fourth in the standings.
For their next match against Tasmania, Western Australia has strengthened their roster with the addition of Aaron Hardie and Cameron Green. Alex Carey, a wicketkeeper-batter, will represent South Australia in their match against Queensland.