Aussie batsman concussed 9 times by age of 22
Former Australian team doctor Peter Brukner says the repeated head knocks suffered by Will Pucovski are concerning but believes the batsman could still make his test debut in Adelaide next week if he is free of concussion symptoms by today.
The well-being of the 22-yearold has become the most talked about subject in cricket a week out from the start of the BorderGavaskar series against India.
After suffering his ninth concussion batting for Australia A against India on Tuesday, Pucovski has continued to be monitored by Cricket Australia’s chief medical officer, John Orchard, who assessed the batsman after he was hit.
‘‘Will has progressed as expected and is experiencing mild symptoms of concussion,’’
Orchard said yesterday.
Brukner, who was the Australian team’s full-time doctor from 2012 to 2017 and has also been head medico for AFL teams Melbourne and Collingwood and Liverpool in football’s Premier League, has been struck by Pucovski’s apparent susceptibility to being concussed.
‘‘Nine concussions by the age of 22 has got to be a concern,’’ said Brukner, now professor of sports medicine at Latrobe University.
‘‘You’re always concerned when people have multiple concussions and seemingly he’s one of these guys that it doesn’t need much to set him off with a concussion.
‘‘The concern is that with each concussion maybe less force is required. It’s a little bit easier, if you like, to develop a concussion. That’s one concern and the other is the great unknown: is there any accumulated damage from recurrent concussions [in cricket]? The science is not clear on that really.
‘‘If you were a park cricketer, you’d say ‘retire mate’. But it’s his livelihood and his career. It’s a tough one.’’
CA’s concussion and head trauma policy does not specify a set number of days that a player must sit out after a significant head knock, instead stating they must not start staged physical activity for 24 hours, and in the case of uncertainty, a qualified medical officer must adopt a conservative approach to their return to play. However, Brukner said while medicos would rightfully be cautious when it came to Pucovski, he could still play in Adelaide if he had recovered from symptoms five days out from the test, even though his history was a worry.
‘‘How many more is too many? There is no magic number. It’s really difficult,’’ he said. ‘‘But certainly in the short term you want to be completely recovered, then get back into some general exercise, gradually increase some exercise, then you get in the nets, then you obviously have to get through some sort of net sessions before you play.
‘‘By Friday he’d want to be pretty much feeling normal then slowly get back into it. If he’s still got symptoms on the weekend then he’s in trouble.’’