Will Pucovski, known as one of Australia’s top young cricket stars, has announced his retirement following a prolonged battle with concussions. At just 27, Pucovski confirmed that he will no longer play any form of cricket and will instead pursue opportunities in commentary and coaching.
Throughout his career, the right-hander suffered 13 blows to the head while batting. In his final professional match for Victoria in March 2024, he was struck by a delivery from Tasmania fast bowler Riley Meredith, forcing him to retire hurt mid-game. After the incident, a Cricket Australia medical panel recommended that he end his playing career to safeguard his long-term health.
In an emotional interview with SEN, Will Pucovski revealed the devastating impact concussions have had on his daily life. He shared that he often felt nauseous and dizzy whenever he tried to focus on anything to his left.
“I’m not going to be playing cricket again. It’s been a really difficult year, to put it as simply as possible. The simple message is, I won’t be playing at any level again. In the couple of months post that (last concussion) I struggled to get anything done, walking around the house was a struggle,” Pucovski told SEN in an interview on Tuesday.
“My fiance was annoyed because I didn’t contribute to chores. I was sleeping a lot. From there it’s been a tough year, a lot of the symptoms didn’t go away, which has led me to this decision. The first few months were horrendous, but things didn’t leave me,” he added.
“I Don’t Want to Take Any More Chances”- Pucovski
Pucovski reflected on his journey while announcing his decision. Since debuting in 2017, he scored 2,350 runs in 36 first-class games, with 7 centuries and 9 fifties, shining in Sheffield Shield cricket. He made his Test debut against India in 2021, scoring 62 and building a 100-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne. Despite the strong start, India held on for a famous draw in the Sydney Test.
“When you’re struggling, it’s hard to make a huge decision,” Pucovski explained the reason for delaying the announcement.
“The medical panel recommended I retire, and that was really difficult to come to terms with. I felt like I was coming over the hill with a few things. Technically you can’t make anyone retire from anything it got made clear to me it was a strong recommendation, but the final decision ultimately was up to me,” he said.
“Since then, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find answers, trying to understand what the brain injury is that I have and why I have had all these problems. There probably wasn’t a moment that I thought ‘This is the day,’ but things haven’t changed. I wanted to hold on to the dream as long as I could, but the flip side to that is you want to feel better and live your life normally,” the batting prodigy added.
“I just don’t want to risk doing any more damage to my brain than I’ve already done,” Pucovski said on pulling the plug.
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