243 reasons Will Pucovski is our next big thing

He’s only played four Sheffield Shield matches but there’s 243 reasons to suggest Will Pucovski is our next big thing.

Victorian young gun Will Pucovski at Junction Oval in St Kilda. Picture: Tony Gough

Introduce yourself, young fella.

“I’d probably prefer to live my life giving everything towards cricket and then if it didn’t pan out at least I could tell myself, well, I gave it my best shot,” says Will ­Pucovski. “That’s one thing I can say, I will well and truly give it my best shot and see where it takes me. If that (Test) opportunity did come, it would be amazing. I’d put everything towards it.”

The Victorian is the most accomplished young batsman in the country. Test spots are up for grabs. The blokes in Abu Dhabi batted as if they didn’t know the difference between hills and hollows. Pucovski is a schoolboy and age-group prodigy who’s played four Sheffield Shield matches in the manner of someone passing through on the way to a higher peak. His 188 against Queensland in February came when no one else from the Vics made more than 63. His 243 against Western Australia at the WACA Ground last week was something else. He faced 311 balls. Hit 30 boundaries. Too young and inexperienced for a Test call-up? Hell, no. He’s 20, not 12.

The numbers tell the story. Photo: Getty Images

“It’s a ridiculous performance, considering what he’s come back from … going to the WACA, which is a foreign venue, a foreign wicket, and to come out and make 243 … it’s phenomenal, really,” ex-Victoria batsman David Hussey says. “You don’t really want to put him in the same class as a Ricky Ponting or a Brad Hodge or a Matthew Elliott. But he’s a quality player who works hard at his game … and he’s a fantastic team man.”

Throw him into the Test side? “Personally, I’d want him to have a monster Sheffield Shield season, play six, seven, eight games, dominate and churn out 1000 runs, and earn that right to play for Australia, rather than score 600 runs and the selectors say, ‘Oh, he’s had a fair year’,” Hussey says. “I’d like to see him dominate Sheffield Shield cricket for a whole season, earn the right to play for Australia — and then dominate for Australia.”

Test coach Justin Langer loves his cricket nuffies. Blokes who have dreamt of baggy green caps since they were about 12. Blokes who adore the pure art of batsmanship above slogging in T20. Pucovski will do well to be cut from Langer’s cloth.

“The opportunity to be in that sort of system would be amazing and one I’d take with both hands and give my everything to,” he said on a promotional video for Cricket Australia before becoming a fulltime Victoria player.

Will Pucovski on his way to his double century against Western Australia. Photo: Getty Images

“I’ve said since I was probably 12 years old I’d give up almost everything for cricket. I’m a batsman. I can’t really slog very well. I’d probably describe myself as a bit of a prodder. I just try to get through and play correctly. I’ve always been a top-order batsman. T20 stuff isn’t really my go at this stage.”

Pucovski will bat at No 3 for Victoria against NSW at the MCG from Thursday. Knock yourself out, kid. Well, not literally.

Pucovski’s been plagued by concussions. His first came when he was playing rugby league at school. He was flung to the ground in a tackle, rushed to casualty at the hospital and ordered out of sport for six months. When he returned, he was hit on the head in the nets. Sidelined again. When he went home, he hit his head on a door. Sidelined again. On his 19th birthday, he was struck on the skull by a ball, while fielding. Given another break. The last time he played NSW, in March, he was felled by a bouncer from Sean Abbott. They will face each other again this week.

No looking back ... Will Pucovski. Photo: Getty Images

Test bolter? Sure. This week will be revelatory. Hype was zero last week. The hype now is 243-fold. If he can make runs when he knows everyone’s watching, well, we’ve found someone special. He sounds like a mini-Langer, even if Langer is rather mini himself.

After his maiden Shield hundred, Pucovski said: “Hopefully I can continue to go on with that but I understand cricket’s a tough game and there’s going to be highs and there’s going to be lows. You’ve just got to ride everything as it comes. It’s just about doing what I can to maximise my cricket career.”

An ambitious plodder who’ll basically give his life to cricket. Langer may have found his spirit animal. Pucovski is the eighth under-21 player to make a Shield double century. The other seven — Bradman, Hill, Walters, Lehmann, Ponting, Sheahan and Ian Chappell — all went on to make Test hundreds. Three of them became Test captains. When he made his four consecutive centuries at the national under-19s, he won $1000 worth of gear from Kookaburra as player of the tournament. He donated it all to his old Hampton Primary School. He’s returned there to help children with learning disadvantages. Langer wants good blokes who can score runs? Here’s one.

“He’s got some great attributes,” Cricket Australia’s National Performance Program head coach Troy Cooley has told News Corp. “He’s an engine-room player.”