Will Pucovski hires legal team to ensure fair compensation ahead of concussion retirement

Australia batter Will Pucovski has hired a legal team to draw out an early retirement plan due to recurring concussions. The 26-year-old made his first class debut for Victoria in 2017 and played 36 red-ball games, scoring 2350 runs at an average of 45.19. He also represented Australia once, in the 2021 Sydney Test against India, when he scored 62 and 10. The match ended on level terms and Pucovski never got another opportunity as Usman Khawaja returned.

Pucovski was once seen as one of the options to replace David Warner after his retirement but the team management decided to play Steve Smith at the top of the order. Not even a year into that, Pucovski has been asked to retire by medical experts after suffering a heavy blow on his head during a Sheffield Shield match in March 2024. He failed to time Riley Meredith’s bouncer, which went on to hit him.

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As per a Sydney Morning Herald report, Pucovski’s lawyers are in contact with Cricket Victoria to discuss the nature of retirement and the compensation he is entitled to. The discussion also involves Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA). However, as per the law, Cricket Victoria IS not liable to pay Pucovski beyond his contract, which will end after the current season. 

He is currently seeking various options but the concussion rule in Australian cricket is not as clear as it is for other sports like football and rugby. The opener has nOt made an official decision yet because of the dilemma and an announcement is only expected to be made after he secures his future.

Pucovski has also played 14 List A matches and scored 333 runs. Interestingly, he never featured in any T20 game, including the Big Bash League.