Young Australian batsman Will Pucovski has been selected to lead the Cricket Australia XI side to face England Lions in three one-dayers in February. The series will consider the Victorian’s coming to competitive cricket after taking a leave in November last season to attend to his mental health.
Will Pucovski, the 21-year-old top-order batsman, was in contention to make a Test appearance versus Pakistan at the start of the summer. However, he retracted himself from the fray during an ‘A’ team game upon the visiting Pakistan side citing mental health issues. Pucovski took two breaks last summer to deal with his mental health while representing Victoria and then during the Canberra Test against Sri Lanka where he was a non-playing member of the squad.
National Selector Trevor Hohns said that It is pleasing to see Will Pucovski back in a national squad. Will has progressed well throughout the summer and recently captained the Victorian second XI in a Twenty20 tournament in Queensland. These three games are an invaluable opportunity for Will to gain more captaincy experience against quality opposition.
Puvovski’s comeback trail has included a stint with Victoria. He has spent the Big Bash League period playing club cricket in Melbourne as well as participating in the T20 carnival with the Victorian second XI. He will now lead a CA XI side that includes, among others, the experienced Cameron Boyce. Jake Lehmann, Alex Ross, and Will Sutherland.
Hohns also stated that several members of the team will be following the CA XI fresh from the BBL, while others will be coming from state-based competitions. The matches against the England Lions provide them all with an opportunity to impress national coaches and selectors as we look to plan for the future. Cameron fully earns his chance after several good years in domestic 50- and 20-over cricket, most recently with the Melbourne Renegades, for whom he took 14 wickets this BBL season.
CA XI squad: Will Pucovski (c), Max Bryant, Caleb Jewell, Jake Lehmann, Alex Ross, Brad Hope, Jaron Morgan, Will Sutherland, Xavier Crone, Blake Edwards, Matthew Kuhnemann, Cameron Boyce, Mitch Perry, Jack Prestwidge
