One-Test prodigy Will Pucovski ‘forced to retire’ at 26 in heartbreaking early end

Luckless one-Test Australian cricketer Will Pucovski will forever be one of the sport’s biggest what ifs after a heartbreaking decision.

Australian cricketer Will Pucovski’s career has reportedly come to an unfortunate early end for medical reasons.

Nine’s Tom Morris reported the 26-year-old will retire due to a recommendation from a panel of medical experts.

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Pucovski has suffered a series of head injuries with the latest concussion he suffered in March proving the final straw.

“My understanding is that an independent panel of experts recommended Pucovski retire three months ago, and all that’s left is for Cricket Victoria and his team to formalise that contractually,” Morris said on Nine News.

“The news doesn’t come as a surprise to teammates of Pucovski who haven’t seen him at training all pre-season, in fact he’s been travelling overseas.”

No one can take his Baggy Green off him. Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP

However it is not just concussions which have proven Pucovski’s undoing. A previous medical panel in 2022 found some of Pucovski’s head injuries were “not true concussions”, and more likely related to stress or trauma responses.

The former batting prodigy rocketed into the national conversation when he was named in the January 2019 Test squad, before his 21st birthday, and then played his one and only Test against India at the SCG.

Pucovski scored 62 and 10, opening the batting alongside David Warner, but suffered a shoulder injury during the match which cost him some six months.

Hope remained he would be able to string together a long, concussion-free run of form as Australia eyes a long-term replacement at the top or the order but it was not to be.

Originally published as One-Test prodigy Will Pucovski ‘forced to retire’ at 26 in heartbreaking early end