Paul Marsh will look at concussion when he starts as new ACA chief executive

Strengthening injury protection for players will be high on the Paul Marsh’s list as cricket union boss following the medical retirement of former Test prodigy Will Pucovski.

Incoming Australian Cricketers’ Association boss Paul Marsh plans to everything he’s learned about concussion from the AFL to cricket following the forced retirement of prodigy Will Pucovski.

Pucovski officially retired from cricket moments before Marsh announced his shift from AFL Players’ Association CEO to ACA CEO on Tuesday.

The one-Test opener was forced to retire after a series of concussions sustained over the course of his career.

Marsh said concussion was one of the biggest issues in his 11-year tenure at the AFLPA and pledged to share his knowledge to protect cricketers.

“I think cricket hasn’t had as many challenges in this area as what the AFL has, when I look at the top few issues this is definitely one of them,” Marsh said.

New ACA boss Paul Marsh will bring his knowledge on concussion to his new role. (AAP Image/James Ross)

“I will bring a lot of learnings from what we have done here to cricket as well, it is all about making the game as safe as possible so you can limit the number of concussions.”

Pucovski revealed he was still battling concussion symptoms a year on from his career-ending blow to the head.

His symptoms included chronic fatigue, headaches, weakness to his left side and a proneness to motion sickness.

A medical panel investigated the 27-year-old last June and encouraged he retired from all forms of cricket.

Marsh conceded injuries did occur in sport but said “you have got to have the right protections in place for players”.

“Then it is about what you do with someone like Will … what I would hope is in place is the right compensation structure for someone like that, that is what we have put in place here,” he said.

Will Pucovski announced his official retirement from cricket on Tuesday morning. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

“Sport you will have some of these injuries, hopefully not too many, but if you do, you have got to have the right protections in place for the players.

“I would hope and expect cricket has got that in place for Will.”

Marsh will finish as AFLPA boss at the end of May and is expected to start his role at ACA almost immediately.

Originally published as Paul Marsh will look at concussion when he starts as new ACA chief executive