Australian cricketer Will Pucovski, who is 27 years old has decided to retire from professional cricket due to concerns about his brain health after suffering multiple concussions throughout his career.
Pucovski made his debut in Test match against India in 2021, scoring 62 runs but had to leave the match due to a dislocated shoulder which kept him out for the rest of the series.
Throughout his career, Pucovski suffered 12 known concussions with his final competitive appearance came in March in the previous year when he was struck by a bouncer from Riley Meredith while playing for Victoria against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield.
This incident led him to make the decision to retire as he does not want to risk further damage to his brain.
The player told Australian radio station SEN,”I just don't want to risk doing any more damage to my brain than I've already done.”
He shared, “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.”
Pucovski further elaborated, “At least I know I won't get hit in the head again, but when the symptoms are ongoing it's frightening.”
"I know what I was like before these concussions and I know what I am now. My family and friends have noticed a difference in me and that's scary for me and for them,” the player added.
Despite stepping away from playing, he will still be involved in the sport.
He has already committed to becoming the head coach of his club, Melbourne, in Victoria's Premier Cricket league for the 2025-26 season.
The player has also worked as a TV commentator before and might return to that role in the future.
In his first-class cricket career, Pucovski scored 2,350 runs at an average of 45.19, including seven centuries, three of which were double centuries.
