Ex-Australia cricketer retires aged 27 as concussions make walking a struggle

Former Australian Test cricketer Will Pucovski has been forced to retire at the young age of 27 due to a series of concussions that have severely impacted his health and playing career. Pucovski, who played his only Test match against India in Sydney back in January 2021, scoring 62 and 10, has not stepped onto the field competitively since March last year after being hit on the head by a delivery from Riley Meredith. After suffering no less than a dozen concussions, medical experts recommended that he hang up his boots, with Pucovski himself acknowledging the significant changes in his daily life over the past year.

Speaking to SEN Radio, Pucovski revealed: "I'm not going to be playing cricket again. In the couple of months post that (last concussion) I struggled to get anything done, walking around the house was a struggle." He shared the strain it put on his personal life, saying: "My fiancee was annoyed because I didn't contribute to chores.



I was sleeping a lot. From there it's been a tough year, a lot of the symptoms didn't go away, which has led me to this decision. "The first few months were horrendous, but things didn't leave me.

I just don't want to risk doing any more damage to my brain than I've already done." With dreams of a long career dashed, Pucovski reflected: "At 27, I have so much ahead of me and I have so many things I want to achieve in my life. I wanted to play another 15 years and that gets taken away which is bad enough.

"At least I know I won't get hit in the head again but when the symptoms are ongoing, it's frightening. My family and friends have noticed a difference in me and that's scary for me and for them." Pucovski has swiftly transitioned into a coaching position, taking the reins at Melbourne Cricket Club in the Victorian Premier Cricket league, where he first made his mark at the tender age of 16 back in 2015.

"It's always been my cricketing home," he expressed on the club's official website. "I have always enjoyed playing for the club and now to become coach, it means a lot to me.".