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Will Pucovski Withdraws from Australia Test Selection for Mental Health Issue
By Shruti - Nov 14, 2019 5:04 pm
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Another batsman has talked about mental health issue openly and he is none other than the promising batsman Will Pucovski who has ruled himself out of selection for Australia’s Test series against Pakistan due to “matters pertaining to mental wellbeing”, Cricket Australia said on Thursday. He is the third Australian cricketer to do so in just over two weeks, after Nic Maddinson and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell both taking breaks from the game for the same reason.

Pucovski
Will Pucovski

Uncapped Will Pucovski was considered a good chance to be included in the Australia squad for the two-test series against Pakistan. He reported his problem to team management in Perth when he was playing for Australia A against Pakistan.

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Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia’s (CA) EGM of National Teams, told Australian cricket would always place the wellbeing of its people ahead of the performance.

“We applaud Will for having the courage to discuss his situation with team management,” he said. “Will’s decision not to nominate for test selection was the right one in the circumstances and one that everyone in the Australian cricket family supports.”

However, the way Australia cricketers’ reporting mental health problems has placed Australia’s player management regime under the scanner. Former batsman Shane Watson, announced as president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association this week, expressed that mental health was a “huge” focus for the players’ union and they were associated with some mental health strategies as well.