Puc’s Shield return closer
WILL Pucovski will step up his bid to return to first-class cricket this week when he plays for the Victorian second XI in what will be his third game since returning from an 11th concussion.
Victorian selectors opted not to pick the 24-year-old, who was subbed out of his return to Sheffield Shield cricket in February after taking a blow to the head with a volleyball, to face Tasmania this week.
Instead Pucovski, who has played two club games with Melbourne in consecutive weeks, including an innings of 73 on Saturday, will play in the second XI game starting on Monday.
Pucovski remains “under active medical management by Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia doctors” and will play under the eye of former Australian one-day captain Cameron White, who is the team’s coach.
“He’s been through a lot, we all know he’s had a lot of challenges,” Victorian coach Chris Rogers said.
“We’re working with him and he’s working through this himself. He was cleared by the medical staff to play ... we’ll keep monitoring that closely.
“It’s just great to see him playing cricket.”
After suffering his 11th concussion in Adelaide, there were calls for Pucovski, who made his Test debut against India in January last year, to retire.
But he was adamant he wanted to play on and had made himself available for the Shield game, returning to training last week after making 28 for Melbourne in his first outing since the latest setback.
Rogers had previously said it was premature for people to suggest Pucovski should walk away from first-class cricket as a result of his ongoing concussion issues.
“There are conversations that are happening in the background. Will’s indicated he wants to keep playing, so we just have to weigh up everything that’s happening at the moment,” Rogers said on SEN radio last month.
“I think he’s pretty hopeful, we just have to have those conversations and make sure everything’s OK. I’m sure that will play out.”
The Vics are second on the Sheffield Shield ladder after two wins and three draws and have added Cameron McClure, James Seymour, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Henry Thornton to the squad to take on Tasmania at the Junction Oval for the match, which starts on Tuesday.