14 March 2024 , 14:26
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Will Pucovski's career has been put on hold once more with the Australian's deal in English county cricket canned as the batsman recovers from his latest concussion.
Less than a fortnight ago, whilst playing for Victoria, Pucovski's future was cast in doubt after he was struck in the side of the head against Tasmania. He tried duck from a Riley Meredith delivery, but was left on all fours dry-heaving for several minutes after the impact.
The 26-year-old was due to join up with Leicestershire for the opening five rounds of the County Championship. Now though Pucovski will remain at home after he was hit with the 11th concussion of his stop-start career.
The Foxes' head of cricket Claude Henderson said: "It's a huge shame to lose Will at this stage, but his health must come first. Given the proximity to the start of the English season, it has been agreed by all parties to allow him the necessary time to recover. We want to wish Will all the best as he continues to recuperate in Australia."
Pucovski is seen as one of the most talented Australian stars of recent times. He hit 62 on Test debut against India in January 2021, but was ruled out of the next match after suffering a shoulder injury in the field. The batsman has taken time out from cricket for mental health reasons and confessed that those absences were likely linked with to his concussion problems.
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"I sort of link the mental health stuff back to my first concussion ... which was when I was about 15 or 16," Pucovski said on the Vic State Cricket Podcast. "I have a lot of concussion symptoms that over a seven- or eight-year period actually never subsided.
"You just sort of got used to having them in a way. The brain's pretty amazing and can find ways to adapt. I would fail concussion tests in the exact same way every single time, regardless of whether I had been hit in the head, and that was over a seven- or eight-year period."
Will Pucovski recently copped another head knock (Steve Bell/Getty Images)Leicestershire have instead secured the services of Australia opener Marcus Harris for the first five games of the County Championship.
Harris said on returning to Grace Road: "I'm incredibly excited to get back to Leicestershire and play for the Foxes again after an enjoyable summer a few seasons ago. I have fond memories of the playing group and the staff. With it still being a Covid year we spent a lot of time together, and I really valued the bonds I built with everyone associated with the Club.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent Leicestershire again. My goal is to win a few games for the team and have another memorable experience with a great group."