Why Australian cricketer Will Pucovski has retired at 27
What's the story
Australian cricketer Will Pucovski has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 27.
The Victorian batsman, who played just one Test for Australia, has suffered from several concussions in his career.
His last incident was in March 2024 when the batter was struck on the helmet by a bouncer from Riley Meredith during a Sheffield Shield match.
Announcement
A look at Pucovski's emotional announcement
In an emotional interview with SEN Radio, Pucovski confirmed his retirement decision.
"I'm not going to be playing cricket again," he said. "It's been a really difficult year, to put it as simply as possible."
He further shared about his struggles post-concussion, revealing that simple tasks like walking around the house became challenging for him.
Retirement recommendation
Medical panel's recommendation
In 2024, an independent medical panel had urged Pucovski to retire from cricket due to his persistent concussion issues.
"In my head, I didn't want to make an official call until I was symptom-free," he explained.
Despite the strong recommendation from the medical panel, Pucovski took his time before making a final decision about his future in cricket.
Ongoing struggles
Battle with concussion symptoms
Pucovski has been fighting the long-term effects of multiple concussions.
"It's complicated," he said, describing his symptoms. "There's the mental health symptoms which is one part of it. Then there's the fatigue, which is quite bad, I get regular headaches."
He also revealed that he struggles with motion sickness and experiences dizziness when focusing on his left side.
Next steps
Future plans of Pucovski
Despite retiring from playing, Pucovski intends to remain in cricket.
He has already accepted the role of head coach with his Victoria Premier club Melbourne for the 2025-26 season.
"I will remain involved in the game," he confirmed, adding that he may also return to television commentary at some point.
In his solitary Test for Australia, Pucovski slammed 62 and 10 (against India in Sydney, 2021).