- Will Pucovski’s cricket contract has been terminated
- The Australian suffered concussion in the Sheffield Shield
- His career is still on the line
Will Pucovski’s cricket career is on hold again, with the Australian batsman pulling out of his England county deal as he recovers from his latest concussion.
Pucovski’s future was again thrown into doubt when he was hit in the head while batting for Victoria against Tasmania on March 3.
In one of the most worrying concussions of the 26-year-old’s career, Pucovski was hit in the side of the head after diving into a delivery from Riley Meredith.
Pucovski was due to join Leicestershire in the first five rounds of the county championship but it has now been decided he will stay at home.
“It’s a huge shame to lose Will at this stage, but his health must come first,” Foxes head of cricket Claude Henderson said.
Will Pucovski has had his contract terminated at Leicestershire following his latest setback
‘Given the proximity to the start of the English season, it has been agreed by all parties to give him the necessary time to recover.
“We would like to wish Will all the best as he continues his recovery in Australia.”
The blow was at least the 11th concussion of Pucovski’s stop-start career, with the right-hander left on his hands and knees for several minutes after the impact.
One of the most talented young prodigies in Australia this century, Pucovski’s career was regularly halted by injuries and concussions.
He hit 62 on Test debut against India in January 2021 but was ruled out of the next match after sustaining a shoulder injury in the field.
The Victorian has also taken time away from the game at several points for mental health reasons, admitting last month that this was likely related to his concussion.
“I kind of tie the mental health stuff back to my first concussion… when I was about 15 or 16,” Pucovski said on the Vic State Cricket Podcast.
The 26-year-old suffered another concussion during a recent Sheffield Shield match
“I have a lot of concussion symptoms that have never really gone away over a period of seven or eight years.
‘You got used to it in a way. The brain is pretty amazing and can find ways to adapt.
“I failed the concussion tests exactly the same way every time, regardless of whether I had taken a blow to the head, over a period of seven or eight years.”
Pucovski’s latest concussion came just one match after he hit his first Sheffield Shield century in more than three years, against NSW in Sydney.
