Former Australian Test opener Will Pukowski has retired from all levels of cricket at the age of 27.
Pukowski has been forced to retire from professional cricket on the recommendation of a panel of experts. The batsman has suffered a series of concussions during his career due to blows to the head.
The most recent episode of concussion occurred in March 2024. Pukowski was injured when a ball hit his helmet during a Sheffield Shield match and was forced to retire. It sidelined him for the rest of the Australian summer and led to his contract with Leicestershire being withdrawn for the 2024 English summer.
The Test player revealed the decision on SEN Mornings on Tuesday.
“I’m not going to play cricket again. It’s been a really tough year, to put it simply,” Pukowski said.
“I think I’ll need a few hours to take you through the whole journey … but the simple message is that I’m not playing cricket at any level again.
“There was a prestigious team with only one Test player. Unfortunately, that’s where my journey ends.”
A medical panel last year recommended the 27-year-old retire.
In 36 first-class matches, Pukowski scored 2,350 runs at an average of 45.19, including seven centuries. In his only Test match against India in Sydney in the 2020/21 season, he scored 62 and 10.
