Victoria’s Will Pucovski retired hurt after massive helmet blow in Sheffield Shield clash

Will-Pucovski. (Photo Source: Twitter/
Trent Kniese)

During the Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, Victorian batter Will Pucovski faced a daunting blow to his helmet by a delivery from Tasmania’s Riley Meredith. The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon as Pucovski encountered a fierce bouncer, prompting him to duck but unfortunately, the impact forced him to drop his bat and collapse on the field.

Writhing in discomfort, the 26-year-old received immediate medical attention as he struggled on the ground. Subsequently, Pucovski, with zero runs to his name, left the field with assistance, signalling his retirement hurt. Victoria swiftly utilized a concussion substitute, Campbell Kellaway, stepping in for Pucovski for the remainder of the match.

Here’s the video of the incident:

Following his recent century against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Victorian cricketer Will Pucovski faced a setback with a helmet blow during the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania. This injury comes after his first first-class hundred in over three years. He had recently inked his maiden county deal with Leicestershire in the UK, and has been hampered by concussion issues throughout his career. Despite being hailed as a future star, the injury poses another challenge for the talented Australian batter.

Pucovski’s cricket journey is comprehensively marred by concussions

In the 2018/19 season, Pucovski took a six-week hiatus from cricket due to mental health concerns. He subsequently opted out of Test consideration the following season, and cited mental wellbeing. He finally debuted in the 2021 New Year’s Test against India, where he notched 61 runs in the first innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, an unfortunate shoulder injury cut short his stint, that allowed Victorian teammate Marcus Harris to step in for him in the starting line-up.

During the 2021/22 season, he faced recurring concussion issues, side lining him for a significant part of the summer. One peculiar incident occurred during a Sheffield Shield warm-up when he inadvertently hit a volleyball into his head, adding to his concussion worries. In October 2022, Pucovski took an indefinite break from cricket, only to return through grade cricket in January the following year. Recently, he was substituted out of a Victorian second XI match against South Australia after sustaining another blow to the helmet.