Birthday special: Will Pucovski – Talented opener plagued by injuries
There is no doubt that Will Pucovski is a gifted player. The right-handed batter is a player who is comfortable with playing at either foot and is a batter who is a joy to watch when he is in full flow.
Pucovski made his Test debut against the Indian side and impressed the cricketing fraternity with the way he dealt with the bowling attack that comprised Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Pucovski scored a flamboyant 62 and showcased his class with the willow.
Pucovski has also accumulated glittering numbers in first-class cricket. The right-handed batter has scored close to 2000 runs in first-class cricket and has scored them at a superb average of 53.41. He has also notched up 6 centuries in the first-class arena as well.
But then, Pucovski’s career has been marred by injuries. He has suffered a series of concussions and as a result, has not yet been able to break into the Australian side in spite of possessing an extraordinary talent.
In fact, Pucovski has suffered a staggering 10 concussions in his career, and if not for his concussion-related issue, he might have been selected in the Australian Test squad for The Ashes series against England. After returning to competitive cricket in December last year, Pucovski opened up on his concussions and how they can affect a batter.
“One of the things about concussion that can be quite difficult is sometimes it can be delayed…you can be batting for another four or five overs then suddenly the grandstand is shaking or something is different,” said Pucovski according to ESPN Cricinfo.
Pucovski is celebrating his 24th birthday today, and even though his career has not yet taken off, he still has a lot of time left to make a mark with the willow in hand. There is no dearth of talent in Pucovski, but if the batter can beat his other nemesis, concussion, he can turn out to be a bright prospect for the Australian side in the years to come.
