Victorian Sheffield Shield captain Peter Handscomb says getting "healthy and happy again" is the number one priority for young gun Will Pucovski following his latest concussion.
Pucovski was subbed out of Victoria's Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia last week after being hit in the head with a volleyball in the warm-up, the 11th time he's suffered a concussion.
In his first Sheffield Shield match since making his Test debut last January, and his first innings since suffering his 10th concussion in October, Pucovski scored a promising 54 before the unfortunate incident.
The young gun's latest setback has seen repeated calls for Pucovski to consider retirement, although Victorian coach Chris Rogers said it was "far too early" for the 24-year-old to make that call.
Unfortunately Will Pucovski’s return to first-class cricket was cut short after it’s learnt that the batter was hit on the head during warm-ups & suffered another concussion on the 4th morning of his #SheffieldShield comeback. He left the Adelaide Oval during the lunch break pic.twitter.com/yB3aZ4x8DE
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 12, 2022
Descibing the incident as a "shame", Handscomb said the decision making would be left to the experts while Pucovski focuses on getting "healthy and happy again".
"It’s a shame to see what’s happened with Puck again, but we are just trying to get him healthy and happy again," Handscomb told media on Thursday ahead of Victoria's Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland.
"I don’t know what that looks like or what it will take.
"We’ve got to leave it up to people a lot smarter than me, I don’t know much about the brain.
"It (the head knock) was just a bit of a shock because he wasn’t prepared for it, wasn’t ready for it, so it’s just knocked him around a little bit.
"It’s really tough on him what’s happened over the last few years. As a group, we just want him to get better, whatever that takes."
Handscomb said cricketers understand the "dangers are always there" when they walk out to bat, adding "it could happen to any one of us".
"We are all aware of that, all aware of what could happen," he said.
"With Will, it’s just understanding the dangers of what might happen and getting him as best prepared for that.
"In training he’s prepared for that, he’s going through his process, what he needs to do to play and he’s fully aware of what could happen, as we all are.
"It could happen to any of us, it’s pretty hard, a cricket ball.
"The dangers are always there. We are aware of it, we deal with it, and we have to get on with it."
The Victoria vs. Queensland Sheffield Shield match got underway at 10.30 (AEST) on Friday morning, with Queensland 1-52 at lunch.
