Australia youngster Will Pucovski has retired from cricket at age of 27 after suffering from multiple concussions during his career (mostly domestic). The batter, who was once touted as a rising star of Australia Cricket, said that he really struggles with things on 'left side' and the changes in him post concussions are scary.

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"It can be quite difficult to see how can I get out to play professional sport again when I'm struggling to live my life how I want to," he told SEN sports radio on Tuesday (Apr 7).

"I just don't want to risk doing any more damage to my brain than I've already done. There's the mental health symptoms which is one part of it. Then there's the fatigue, which is quite bad, I get regular headaches," he added. 

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Pucovski last played in March 2024 and was struck by a bouncer in that domestic Sheffield Shield game as well. His only international appearance was against India in Sydney Test in 2021.

The batter, susceptible to short bowling, explained the effects of concussions on his life and said: "I know what I was like before these concussions and I know what I am now."

"I really struggle with things on my left side. If I have things happening on my left I feel sick and dizzy. I struggle with motion sickness. My family and friends have noticed a difference in me and that's scary for me and for them," he added.

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Who is Will Pucovski

Pucovski was regarded as a generational talent when he pushed himself into a star-studded Victoria team at the age of 18 in 2017. He has played 36 First Class games and scored 2,350 runs at an average of 45 with seven hundreds and nine fifties.

He was handed his international debut in 2021, aged 21, against India in Sydney Test where he impressed with his 62-run innings. The batter, however, dislocated his shoulder and the Test remained his only international appearance.

He has been hit on the head at least 10 times and the doctors, after last hit, advised him to give up the game. 

How does a concussion affect the brain?

The best way to explain how a concussion affects the human brain could be taken from a 2015 movie with the same name. Hollywood actor Will Smith played the role of Nigerian-American doctor Bennet Omalu who studied the link between effect of concussion resulting from repeated hits athletes took in NFL.

Omalu, Smith's character in the movie, took an apple and put it in a glass jar with filled half to 3/4th with water. He then held the jar horizontally to the ground and shook it at intervals. After some time, the hard apple became loose on the surface with its skin coming off and subsequently the pulp inside started coming out in pieces as well.

Omalu said in the scene: "Human brain is like the apple, in a liquid (called cerebrospinal fluid, water in this case)) and is not in direct contact with skull (glass jar)."

By shaking the glass jar, Omalu tried to replicate the hits athletes took in NFL while playing the high contact sport and just like the apple became loose and the pulp started coming off, brain gets injured with neurons getting damaged and blood starts coming out like in any other injury in body.