Will Pucovski Retires from All Formats of Cricket Following Concussion Battles

Will Pucovski has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after a year filled with challenges. The player announced his retirement after he had been going through after aftereffects of the concussion. Calling it out as a tough year of multiple medications and doctor recommendations, Will finally made the move and called it a day with plans of moving into coaching with the Victoria Premier side, Melbourne.

Will announced his retirement on Tuesday and admitted that he is still suffering “scary” symptoms. Notably, Pucovski played his last match in the Sheffield Shield in March 2024, where he was hit by a Riley Meredith bouncer. Since then, it’s been a tough year.

“I’m not going to be playing cricket again,” Pucovski

“I’m not going to be playing cricket again,” Pucovski told SEN on Tuesday.“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. My fiancée 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.” The player told SEN sports radio on Tuesday confirming his retirement from cricket. He will now seek a career in coaching and has been signed by Victoria Premier side, Melbourne, for the coaching role.

Releasing an official statement for the retirement, ICC said, Pucovski has been forced to retire from professional cricket following a recommendation from a panel of experts. The batter faced a series of incidents where he was hit on the head, causing him concussions, during his career.

The latest episode of concussion happened in March 2024. Pucovski was forced to retire hurt when a delivery hit him on the helmet during a Sheffield Shield match. It sidelined him for the remainder of the Australian summer and led him to withdraw his contract with Leicestershire for the English summer of 2024.

Pucovski has played 36 first-class matches, scoring seven centuries and nine fifties in a promising run for his state, and achieved his highest feat in 2020 when he smashed an unbeaten record of 255 against South Australia. Being in form, he was seen as a promising future star opener of the Australian team. But his career ladder has been cut short after his long-term concussion issues, which have led him away from the cricket scene since 2024.