Australian News – Decision on Pucovski’s future delayed after worsening concussion symptoms

Victoria offered Pucovski a contract for 2024-25 but got a waiver from CA to withhold commitment to that contract until he has been evaluated by a joint medical team that will include CV, CA and independent medical experts. This panel is called to assess his condition and reveal his future due to the shocking statistics he has had in his career so far. The test with the panel was delayed because Pucovski still had concussion symptoms in the six weeks since his last concussion in March, although those symptoms are understood to have finally subsided.

It is understood that Pucovski’s symptoms have improved in recent weeks but there have been serious concerns about how long the symptoms lasted after the concussion in March. He couldn’t meet the team until his symptoms had completely decayed. That is now likely in the coming weeks and a decision on his future will be made after that.

Cricket Victoria’s general manager Graham Manou confirmed that Pucovski will be given a contract but it is subject to medical advice.

“Of course there will be a lot of interest in Will Pucovski and what the future holds for him,” said Manou. “The most important part of this process is Will and his health and well-being. Cricket Victoria is working closely with Cricket Australia and a panel of medical experts who are due to meet soon to review Will’s history. We will take advice from that panel going forward this season. “

If Pucovski is unable to continue playing it is understood that there will be significant compensation for his injury and support services available through CV and CA but he will not be officially contracted on the average domestic salary in Victoria.

“I relate the mental health stuff back to my first depression … which was when I was about 15 or 16,” Pucovski told me. Vic State Cricket podcast in February. “I have a lot of seizures that over a period of seven or eight years, they really didn’t go away.

“You just get used to having them that way. The brain is so amazing and it can find ways to adapt. I would fail a concussion test the same way every time, no matter if I was hit in the head, and that was over seven or eight years.

“Mental health has been a bigger problem for me than the bruises.

“I’m not afraid of my long-term health, it’s the mental health side that’s been the hardest part.

“One day I’ll be ready to tell my whole story and it will probably make a lot of sense. I’ve explained what I’ve been through to people around me​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ and all the answers I’ve gotten have been. Like “Jesus, I never thought that in a million years, that doesn’t even make sense to me”.

“It didn’t make sense to me for years, but I’ve been on this path to understand it all.”

Victorian contract list 2024-2025: Liam Blackford, Scott Boland (CA contract), Dylan Brasher, Josh Brown, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell (CA), Cameron McClure, Jono Merlo, Todd Murphy (CA), Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski (advice pending), Tom Rogers, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Will Sutherland, Douglas Warren