‘Cancellation of Australia’s South Africa tour wasn’t the worst thing to happen’ – Will Puckovski 

Will Puckovski believes that Australia’s canceled tour of South Africa was a blessing in disguise for him, and may have saved his chances of securing an Ashes berth. The Australia opener’s shoulder injury turned out to be much worse than the initial diagnosis suggested.

The 23-year-old scored an impressive fifty on his Test debut against India in January this year but later sustained an injury that required him to go under the knife.

With the tour of South Africa scheduled, Puckovski wasn’t sure if he would be able to undergo surgery and recover quickly. He eventually underwent the procedure in February, which will prevent him from batting until August. Had he delayed it further, his Ashes campaign would have been in jeopardy.

“I was shattered at the time (when the tour was canceled) but looking back on it now, it wasn’t the worst thing to happen,” Will Pucovski told cricket.com.au.

“They initially weren’t 100 per cent sure from the scans (if surgery was required); they thought I probably did need it, but that it wasn’t absolutely urgent. But I decided to get it done, and when they went in there, they told me I really needed it. I’m pretty lucky I got it done a little bit earlier to get it right for next season," he revealed.

“I’m still a couple of months away, at least, from going into the nets, but it still gives me a fair bit of time. Even if I’m not in until August, I’ll have a month or two before the season starts,” said the Aussie batsman.

It has been a rollercoaster of a summer for the young Victorian amid the highs of good form and hisTest debut followed by the lows of serious injuries and rehab.

Exclusive: Will Pucovski looks ahead to the Ashes, reflects on his rollercoaster summer and details the full extent of his season-ending shoulder injury | @martinsmith9994 https://t.co/Af7XtJBnSO

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 8, 2021

"The Ashes keeps you sane" - Australian batsman Will Puckovski

Will Puckovski sustained a shoulder injury during fielding in the New Year's SCG Test.

While he is still recovering, Will Puckovski has started running again, and like Steve Smith, has been shadow-batting. The young opener is hoping to be fit for the start of the Sheffield Shield in order to gain match practice for the Afghanistan Test and the Ashes.

“(The Ashes) keep you sane in the morning when you wake up and are going through all the exercises. I’ve started a bit of shadow batting, which sounds a bit silly, but it’s just about trying to remember the mental side of what to do. Ideally, the first Shield game will be my number one goal,” added Puckovski, who has a history with a number of concussion injuries.

One of the most prolific run-getters in Australian domestic cricket, Puckovski has played 24 first-class matches and scored 1,816 runs at an impressive average of 53.41.

Will Pucovski becomes the first Aussie to hit back-to-back double centuries since Michael Clarke in 2012!@MarshGlobal | #SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/NUwdEsK7N8

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 9, 2020