Robert Craddock: How Will Pucovski can evade CA contract bouncer and emerge on top

Chastened by the series loss to India, selectors are playing hardball with Cricket Australia contracts, but Robert Craddock explains it isn’t all bad for gifted youngster Will Pucovski.

TOPSHOT - Australia's Will Pucovski plays a shot during the first day of the third cricket Test match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on January 7, 2021. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE —

Pick on potential. Pay on performance.

This is the philosophy which has seen gifted youngster Will Pucovski miss out on a berth in Australia’s 17-man contract list despite being a near certainty, if fit, for the first Ashes Test next summer.

Australia had the cash and space to put Pucovski and a couple of other fringe players like Matthew Wade on the list which traditionally includes 20 players.

That would have been the easy call and the traditional one. The tough call was to leave them out.

This contract list, to be announced Friday, has a slightly different vibe to any other of recent times.

Watch Every Match of The 2021 IPL Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Australia's Will Pucovski has been denied a central contract by Cricket Australia.

It’s almost as if the selectors, chastened by the recent home series loss to India, are trying to make a point they are trying to give fringe players hard noses rather than soft landings.

You want a deal? Earn it.

No one is being crucified because, in a sense, the selectors cannot be proved wrong.

Any player who fires up in the Ashes will have a contract by Christmas under an automatic promotion system.

Pucovski’s batting drips with a maturity beyond his 23 years. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Pucovski raises his bat after his maiden fifty at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Any who fades out of the framework did not deserve one in the first place.

The selectors have loved Pucovski’s potential for four or five years and have been craving for the day when he becomes a Test match anchorman.

But due to a series of bouts of concussion and other mental health issues plus setbacks such as a recent shoulder injury that required surgery Pucovski has played only 24 first class matches since his first class debut four years ago.

The Victorian fought back from a series of concussions and mental health battles to score 62 in his Test debut against India in January.

That is not a horrible result given all he has been through but the “Puc package’’ hasn’t had the chance to truly solidify.

The selectors know from his silky 62 on debut against India that Pucovski’s batting drips with a maturity beyond his 23 years.

It is never a formality a young batsman will make the grade but talent wise he seems as safe a bet as anyone in the country with the possible exception of Cameron Green to crack the big time.

But the greater challenge — the final challenge — is whether he can string long sequences of matches together which is part of the reason why the panel didn’t just dive in with a guaranteed deal.

By picking Pucovski for the Ashes the selectors will show their high rating of him but they aren’t quite ready to hand over everything just yet.