The decision to leave Will Pucovski out of the Ashes side is one that may further the futuristic leader’s career.
Pucovski recently took some time from the game battling his own mental health demons and was released from the Test squad early in his debut tour against Sri Lanka.
Undisputedly the 21 year-old has a treasured ability to spend long stints at the crease and will have a prosperous career in the baggy green.
Pucovski burst onto the Australian cricket scene, breaking a 22-year-old record in the under-19 national championships in 2016. In that particular series the Vic Metro opener furthered his captaincy skills and averaged well over three figures, including four consecutive centuries followed by an 87-ball 69, surpassing Queenslander Jerry Cassell’s record of 568 in 1994 and Australian great Ricky Ponting’s record of 350 in 1992.
Following that series, the right-hander earnt himself a spot at Sheffield Shield level for the Bushrangers, where he has thrived when he has managed to stay on the park.
In his eight matches Pucovski has collected 588 runs at 49.00 with two centuries and one half-century, including an epic 243 against West Australia at the WACA.
Repetitive breaks from the game through concussion and mental health have delayed Australia from seeing consistent performances and endeavour at the crease Pucovski has shown glimpses of. The health of the Victorian is more important than the trial of his position in a top order that he will most likely spearhead in many years to come.
Pucovski needed to debut in the last Test for Australia against Sri Lanka to be eligible to play county cricket and demonstrate his talent in English conditions this Australian winter.
The Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year has uncommonly prioritised the red-ball game over the shorter format by learning how to make big scores for Melbourne Cricket Club at Premier Cricket level. Playing five matches for his Premier club this year, Pucovski has scored four half-centuries, two of which have been unbeaten.
To debut Pucovski against a potent English attack would be an immense challenge for someone who is already battling challenges of their own.
James Anderson has recently eclipsed Glenn McGrath in all-time Test wickets (572) and equalled countryman Ian Botham on five wicket-hauls (27). In home conditions Anderson is near on unplayable.
Anderson is accompanied by Stuart Broad, who is familiar with demolishing the Australian batting line-up. In the last Ashes series on home soil in 2015 Broad
collected 21 wickets – the most of any player in that series – at 20.90, including a hypnotic 8-15 at Trent Bridge.
Australia has not enjoyed the challenge of English conditions in recent times, coming home losers from every away Ashes series since 2001. Some of our most
experienced players struggle against the swinging Duke ball.
Pucovski will no doubt be one of Australia’s brightest cricketers and a possible leader in the future, but to debut him in English conditions would give the youngster a more than difficult opportunity to show what he is really capable of at the top level.
A longer period away from the game and a debut in home conditions would be a perfect start to what Australians hope to be an extensive career for Will Pucovski.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
George, it might be worth your while reading what Will, himself, says on the Cricket Australia website.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Train, it might be worth your while reading what Will, himself, says on the Cricket Australia website.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Blake, it might be worth your while reading what Will, himself, says on the Cricket Australia website.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Correct. CoS and Coach Arthur essentially said that Hughes was being 'protected'. "We want men, not boys..." said Arthur.
Paul
Roar Guru
Tim, I had a quick look online and both Waughs did play Lancashire League for sure but also got some games for Essex.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Marky got an Esso scholarship I think.
Tim
Guest
I’m pretty sure the Waughs played in the Lancashire league and Steve was the lone professional in the team. Then replaced by Mark when Steve left.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
But there is still the issue of the 'concent swrewups'. Were they the bad guys in "Jabberwocky"?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Well, I'm going to appear the nasty so&so but I'm a little concerned by all this Pucovski talk - in the sense that he hasn't played much, under a lot of scrutiny and when he gets close to the baggy green he has a relapse. It's a pity they didn't put him in against Sri Lanka so we'd know, but maybe some wiser heads knew more than we did. Wouldn't have been a good look for him to have issues mid-game (if that eventuated). After this year, personally (and I might be a %&%) but now I'd want him to demonstrate the mental strength to manage his demons. It may be combined with the knocks on the head so I'm not 'dissing' him and I applaud the guy for speaking up, but there might be a genuine issue with his mental fortitude. I love test cricket above all because of the enormous mental strength these guys often have to demonstrate. Sometimes these guys go out to bat against a high pace moving ball and they could be out of form, marriage or world falling apart, hostile crowd, family in strife, their impending doom blasted across the pages and they have to put it all away and focus, and for several hours knock this little ball around and get a ton of runs. It just ain't easy, the pressure would often be stifling. Batman would have been in his element and true to his name!
Jeffrey Dun
Roar Rookie
Don, your comment: "James Anderson grows in notoriety whenever he is not playing Australia." made me laugh - it's so true. And yet, the conventional wisdom, as presented by the author in this article, is that: " In home conditions Anderson is near on unplayable." Anderson has played 13 Ashes tests in England (a fair sample) and has taken 44 wickets at 33.4 runs per wicket and at a strike rate of 61.4. Hardly unplayable !
Matt H
Roar Guru
Whether Pucovski is ready or not or should be picked or not pretty much comes down to the performances of the incumbents. Assuming our current top 6 is shaping up as: Warner Burns Khawaja Smith Head Patterson then the question will be, with a 49 average after 10 first class games, at 20, never having faced the Duke in England, is Pucovski a better bet than any of the incumbents (or I guess the two back ups, say Harris and Labuschagne). The answer to that might lie in his scores over the next four rounds of the Shield against the Duke ball, compared to the others. But if he can't get through these four Shield games without having a break, then a tour of England that promises to be the most hostile in terms of crowds (thanks to the presence of Smith and Warner) is possibly not the place for him and he will be better of debuting at home with another 12 month's cricket at Shield level behind him.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
What was wrong? That he is not good enough to play Jimmy Anderson? That was the initial point. He can play a swinging ball on his ear. He is way better than most and he is ready for it. The silly Train thing then got all uppity, thinking that Pucovski going home when he wasn't playing is proof that mental illness is a life sentence. It is just a simple management issue which he is in control of managing. He said it, the team management said it, JL said it. You guys are respnding exactly the opposite to how group like BeyondBlue suggest. You stigmatize a simple wellness issue as if he is a long term cot case. That is exactly the attitude we want eliminated. He loved the experience. He said that. He also had a happy birthday with his family. He will blitz the last 4 Shield games.
JamesH
Roar Guru
But Hughes debuted in 2009? He was dropped 12 months before that SA series because he couldn't stop nicking off to the Phantom. The selectors might have been gun shy picking him again after he'd already been dropped multiple times but I can't see how the situation is analogous to that of Pucovski.
George
Guest
Still repeating the same ignorant twaddle, rather than admit you got it badly wrong when Pucovski was needlessly selected.
AREH
Roar Guru
Think it's the 2012-13 Aus home season being referred to. Quiney played the SA tests, even with Hughes primed and in great form, Quiney was out of his depth and Hughes played the Sri Lanka tests which followed.
AREH
Roar Guru
He doesn't need to be the present anyway, given he is still 20, with less than 10 FC matches to his name, and with the issues he has had. I'd be wary of throwing him in too early, and what a few failures might do to him. There is no doubting the abundance of talent on hand though, and a more than bright future exists.
JohnB
Roar Rookie
The other comment I'd make relates to the comment on Pucovski's U19 record. It certainly sounds impressive - but did they play as many games and get as many innings back in Ricky Ponting's day as they do now? And, with all respect, Jerry Cassell isn't exactly a household name. If he was the record holder, does that suggest holding the record isn't an automatic marker of likely high level success?
JohnB
Roar Rookie
While your comment on SL isn't totally unreasonable, they did knock over SA for 239 in Durban overnight. Maybe not totally hopeless.
Paul
Roar Guru
hi James I tried to fathom the ECB regulations around "overseas players" and I found it really difficult to read, considering it was came from the place that invented English!! That said, I found another website that talks about what type of player can obtain the relevant visa, which is essential to play County Cricket (see below). I know this is from 2016 but am not aware anything's changed, so guys who have played enough first class games can get a visa but there's no stipulation in them playing Tests, as far as I can see. http://www.cricketeast.co.uk/page/compliance/ecb-rules--regulations/overseas-players-13873/
JamesH
Roar Guru
Was that sarcasm? Hughes debuted in South Africa against Steyn and Morkel.