Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
The cricketing world was saddened by the retirement of talented Australia batsman Will Pucovski at age 27. Pucovski suffered his 13th concussion in March 2024 batting for Victoria against Tasmania, where he was struck on the head by a Riley Meredith bouncer.
There was immediate concern as to the health and future of Pucovski. He suffered a severe concussion as a result of that blow against Tasmania. Soon after, a medical panel assessed Pucovski’s future and recommended that he stops playing cricket.
Speaking to SEN Radio in Melbourne earlier this week, Pucovski said it was a very difficult decision to make as he worked so hard to get back on the field. He was getting back to his best, with a century against New South Wales in Sydney boosting his confidence.
“After that century in Sydney, I thought from a personal point of view things were starting to click for me,” he said. “I put a mountain of effort into getting things right off the field to be good on the field.
“In my head, I didn’t want to make an official call until I was symptom-free,” Pucovski said about the recommendation to retire. “When you’re struggling it’s hard to make a huge decision. The medical panel recommended I retire and that was really difficult to come to terms with. I felt like I was coming over the hill with a few things.
“Technically you can’t make anyone retire from anything…it got made clear to me it was a strong recommendation but the final decision ultimately was up to me.
“I just don’t want to risk doing any more damage to my brain than I’ve already done.”
Will Pucovski opens up on how he’s been impacted by last concussion
“I felt so bad physically after getting hit [by the Meredith bouncer] that the dread came a little bit after to be honest,” Pucovski recalled. “It unfortunately got me in a really bad spot.”
What happened afterwards was concerning. Pucovski spoke about his struggles for months following the incident, including how it affected life at home.
“In the couple of months post that [last concussion] I struggled to get anything done, walking around the house was a struggle,” he said. “My fiancée was annoyed because I didn’t contribute to chores. I was sleeping a lot.”
Pucovski also revealed he still struggles with symptoms. At just 27, he said professional sport had to be out of the picture as his personal life was significantly affected.
“From there it’s been a tough year, a lot of the symptoms didn’t go away which has led me to this decision. The first few months were horrendous, but things didn’t leave me,” he said.
“I’ve only just turned 27, the space of concussion is very young. Speaking to a lot of specialists, this is a difficult space to deal with.
“The technology isn’t quite there to understand what is what. When you have symptoms for over a year and I’ve had others for numerous years, it can be quite difficult to see how can I get out to play professional sport again when I’m struggling to live my life how I want to.”
Pucovski a case of what could have been, but will remain involved in cricket
Will Pucovski made his Test debut in January 2021, hitting a half-century against India. He was one of the top performers in Sheffield Shield cricket, finishing with 2,350 First Class runs at an average of 45.19. This included seven centuries, with three of them doubles.
However, while Pucovski’s playing career has come to an end, he will remain involved in cricket. He will take the head coach role of Melbourne in the Victoria Premier Club competition. Also, Pucovski has previously commentated on the Big Bash League for Channel 7.
