Batting star Will Pucovski won’t play for Victoria at the SCG this week as he continues his recovery from concussion

The race to play in the first Ashes test is over for Will Pucovski so he’s being eased back to a cricket return and it won’t be at the SCG this week.

Will Pucovski’s last game was his Test debut in January . (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) /

Young batting star Will Pucovski is being held back from a return to cricket for Victoria and won’t make his long-awaited playing return in this week’s Sheffield Shield clash against NSW.

The 23-year-old, who hasn’t played a match since he hurt his shoulder in his Test debut against India in January, suffered a 10th concussion during pre-season training with Victoria on October 5.

While his recovery has progressed, its understood Victorian officials didn’t want to pick Pucovski for a Shield clash without having tested himself at a lower level first.

He was set to play for his club side Melbourne last weekend ahead of a Shield return, but all Victorian premier cricket matches were washed out.

Pucovski also missed a second XI clash played in Sydney this week and without any game time under his belt, selectors opted against picking him for the SCG clash.

He won’t be picked for Victoria until he has batted at a lower level and wasn’t considered for the Australian intra-squad clash set to be played in Brisbane on December 1.

Australia's Will Pucovski made 62 and 10 in his Test debut in January . (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) /

After making a half-century on Test debut at the SCG, Pucovski had been the first choice to open the batting with David Warner in the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba.

But given Pucovski’s interrupted pre-season, national selection chief George Bailey has indicated Marcus Harris would now be given that opportunity allowing Pucovski to put any Test selection pressures to one side.

Victorian coach Chris Rogers said national selectors had a “strong desire” to get the 23-year-old into the Test team, but everyone was taking a long-term view of Pucovski’s cricket future when he was overlooked for selection last week.

“It’s really difficult just to walk into one of these games unprepared,” he said.

“All the people who are in these conversations understand we have an immense talent on our hands and we want him to be playing for five to 10 years, so these are the decisions we are going to make in his best interests to set him up to have a long career.”

Will Pucovski hurt his shoulder during day five of the 3rd Test match against India (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Rogers said Pucovski could be ready for one of the later Tests in a “best-case scenario” as he returns to full fitness.

“Of course he wants to play for Australia for a long time to come. There’s a strong desire to get him into that Australian side, he’s such a talented player,” he said.

“I think the decision is to look after him and allow him a bit more time to prepare in the right time rather than rush him to matches which are going to have a lot of intensity and scrutiny.”

Originally published as Batting star Will Pucovski won’t play for Victoria at the SCG this week as he continues his recovery from concussion