Will Pucovski, the talented Australian batter, will be playing his first-ever county cricket in April after securing a short-term deal with Leicestershire to cover for Wiaan Mulder. Pucovski, 25, is considered one of Australia’s brightest young talents and made his Test debut playing against India at the SCG. However, he has faced several setbacks in his career, including regular concussions and taking leave to manage his mental health.
Despite a quiet Sheffield Shield season for Victoria, Pucovski holds a solid average of 43.94 across his first-class career and made 62 in his first Test innings opening alongside David Warner. With Mulder unavailable at the beginning of the English summer, Leicestershire has signed Pucovski for the first five matches of the County Championship season. He will be joining his Victoria team-mate Peter Handscomb, who is also returning to the county this season.
While Pucovski played for Weybridge in the Surrey Championship last year, this will be his first experience of county cricket. Claude Henderson, Leicestershire’s director of cricket, expressed his excitement at securing Pucovski’s signature, highlighting the positive impact he hopes Pucovski will have on their batting lineup.
Leicestershire finished fourth in Division Two of the Championship last summer amidst a turbulent season, but the club rallied under head coach Alfonso Thomas and won the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
