Will Pucovski has no regrets about stepping down from cricket last summer when he was close to the test selection and has come back “really ready” to meet expectations of one of the next big things in the game be.
The Victorian batting dynamo returns to the center for Victoria on Friday against South Australia after a tough off-season quarantine in Adelaide that left players “feeling like criminals in a way” when under the watchful eye of local police trained.
It was another strange episode in Pucovski’s short career that featured numerous problems and an ongoing mental wellbeing issue that twice forced the rising star to retire from the game.
Pucovski, now 22, would have wore a baggy green last summer before taking a break on the eve of summer testing and not returning until February of this year.
After taking a “holistic” approach to improving on and off the field, Pucovski stated that he was “really interested” in getting back on the test radar and stepping up if necessary.
“I’ve done a lot of work in the last year to take myself a little further and I now feel in a really good room, which is great, just in everyday life and with my cricket,” said Pucovski on Wednesday.
“It’s been an interesting year or two and it’s hard for people to understand, but I’m very happy with where I am and most of the people I care about and happy with where I am.
“I don’t have much control over whether (selectors) choose me, but I’m definitely very interested in (playing test cricket). It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. “
Pucovski admitted he was “not quite ready” for Test cricket last year. However, the elegant right-hander firmly believes that three summers of exposed the ups and downs of gaming under great expectations have been an invaluable experience and only helped his current cause.
“It was a little journey… but the older you get and the more experience you gain, the more you get used to situations and understand how the world works a little better, and I feel more comfortable in myself now than last year and more than the year before, ”he said.
“I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason and that my journey has taken a certain path, and I think that in the end everything will work out for the best.
“I never stopped believing that. On that note, just wasn’t the right word to use, but knowing life that it will be made things a lot easier. You learn to deal with different things and different pressures. “
“I’m definitely in a good room to handle all of this. I really feel ready because I’ve put so much work into making sure I’m in a good room. “
Pucovski also signed his first BBL deal with the Melbourne Stars to spend a full summer in a professional environment.
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