Pucovski consulted the team management on Tuesday while playing the first tour match for Australia A against Pakistan.
Pucovski scored five runs in 14 deliveries in the first innings and was one of Imran Khan’s five victims. Pucovski joined fellow Australian players Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson to opt out due to mental health issues.
This is the second time the youngster has been excused for mental health reasons after having opted out of the Canberra Test against Sri Lanka due to a similar issue.
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Speaking about the issue, CA’s EGM of National Teams, Ben Oliver said:
Meanwhile, Travis Head and Joe Burns made it to the 14-man squad along with opener Cameron Bancroft, who had been dropped after disappointing performances in the first two Ashes Tests.
Bancroft was a late inclusion in Australia A’s squad against Pakistan after Maddinson had pulled out citing mental health issues. Talking to reporters, Australia’s national selector Trevor Hohns opened up about Burns and Head’s inclusion and explained why they deserved to play Test cricket again.
Poor performances from Marcus Harris in the last three Ashes Tests and a string of low scores from Usman Khawaja in the domestic arena have seen them lose their respective Test spots.
Meanwhile, Michael Neser is expected to provide competition to Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson for the third pacer’s slot in the playing XI. Hohns acknowledged the competition in the pace-bowling department, saying:
Australia Test squad
David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Cameron Bancroft, Tim Paine (capt & wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Michael Neser
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