Will Pucovski Returns To Nets After 10th Concussion And May Not Play First Few Ashes 2021/22 Tests

“He hasn’t quite recovered as well as hoped. In discussions with the medical team and the national selectors it was felt we would give him a bit more time to select him to play for Victoria.”

“He hasn’t started hitting the nets, I think that was the main concern. It’s really difficult just to walk in to one of these games unprepared. All the people who are in these conversations understand we have an immense talent on our hands and we want him to be playing for five to 10 years so these are the decisions we are going to make in his best interests to set him up to have a long career. There’s some symptoms which are just a little too close to the game.”

Will Pucovksi trained on Wednesday and was “positive” about how his recovery was tracking. But his playing return may not come until a yet to be confirmed third Sheffield Shield game in mid-November, or even a Victorian second XI game.

Will Pucovski played 1 Test, only scoring 72 runs with a fifty, and his highest was 62. The debutant injured his shoulder while trying in vain to stop the ball at mid-wicket in the second session of the final day in the 3rd Test at Sydney against India. He missed the first two Tests against India due to a concussion injury but scored 62 and 10 in the 3rd Test after making his debut.

Chris Rogers: Will Pucovski Unlikely To Play First 2021/22 Ashes Test

Chris Rogers said that would delay any chance of him playing in the Ashes until mid-series.

“No doubt it’s a setback. I’d say now it’s unlikely he’d play in the first Test,” he said.,

“Hopefully if we play a third Shield game in mid-November and there may be a second XI game for Victoria as well that might prepare him for one of the matches in the middle of the Ashes series. that’s the best case scenario. He was very positive about how it was all tracking and pretty hopeful of playing soon. But he felt this match was a touch too early.”

Chris Rogers said Will Pucovski, who hasn’t played a game since injuring his shoulder in his Test debut last January, was “frustrated” by this latest concussion and its lingering effects. But the young star also knew he had to be fully ready when he made a playing return.

“He hasn’t played for seven months. You have to walk straight back in the cauldron and perform against very good opposition, that would have been playing on his mind,” Rogers said.

“Of course he wants to play for Australia for a long time to come. There’s a strong desire to get him into that Australian side, he’s such a talented player. I think the decision is to look after him and allow him a bit more time to prepare in the right time rather than rush him to matches which are going to have a lot of intensity and scrutiny.”

Will Pucovski’s history of concussion issues could mean the opener is sidelined for at least part of the five-Test Ashes series against England, which starts on December 8 in Brisbane. But Chris Rogers backed the opener to make a late claim for selection, highlighting his caliber. He has played 24 first-class matches where he amassed 1816 runs averaging 53.41. He has hit 6 tons and as many fifties. In November 2020, he hit back-to-back two double tons for Victoria against South and West Australia.