If not for a training mishap and yet another concussion, Will Pucovski could this week have been using the Sheffield Shield restart to warm up for a tour of Pakistan having helped Australia win the Ashes.
Instead, after a near three-month lay-off from that knock to the head in the nets last October, Pucovski is like a “kid in a candy shop” he’s so excited about making a first class return more than 12 months after his last match, which was also his Test debut.
Pucovski, 24, will reunite with Pakistan-bound Test batter Marcus Harris at the top of the order for Victoria against South Australia in Adelaide after a discussion with coach Chris Rogers about where he would bat on his return to action.
Rogers said teammates, including Victorian captain Peter Handscomb, were gobsmacked at how well Pucovski had been hitting the ball during recent net sessions given his time away and expected his class to come through quickly in his first elite level hitout since January 2021.
“The best thing about it is how confident he is, he’s ready to go,” Rogers said on Tuesday.
“I spoke to the captain and Pete (Handscomb) watched him bat and just said, ‘Mate, he’s hitting them as well as ever’. That was all we needed, was Puck to be certain he’s ready to go.”
Rogers said Pucovski was not weighed down at all by the missed opportunities of the summer just gone by and what could be a longer road back to the Test team.
“One of the things that has held him in goodxjmtzyw stead is he has had to deal with so many setbacks in his career. He’s pretty matter-of-fact about these issues and having to sit on the sidelines while he is potentially missing out on opportunities.
“In terms of his spirits, he’s just so happy to be around the group (and) ready to play. He had throwdowns yesterday, said he had enough, then went and sat down and watched a few other people, then came back and asked for more. He’s a bit like a kid in a candy store, he’s ready to go.
“It’s great to see, we know what talent we have on our hands. If he plays well, then we play well.”
Rogers also said Harris was batting as “well as ever” and would be better for his recent Test experiences, having played the first four matches against England.
Victoria also regains new Test cult hero Scott Boland, who Rogers said was “begging to play” after his stunning Ashes performance in which the 32-year-old took 18 English wickers in just three matches.
Bringing that level of performance back to domestic cricket could also make Boland a whole new prospect to deal with for batsmen.
“When you have someone like Scott Boland, who is almost begging to play, it sets a pretty good standard. It’s bringing a bit more presence as well,” Rogers said.
“He already did, but now he’s a Test star, you wonder how that lifts his teammates but also how it will affect the opposition as well knowing they are coming up against a world class bowler.”
