Will Pucovski and Nic Maddinson to return to Sheffield Shield action

Having given a strong message to the World regarding mental health issues, both Will Pucovski and Nic Maddinson are set to return to action in the Sheffield Shield. While both the prolific batsmen have been named in the Victoria squad for their next match, Glenn Maxwell, who had also taken a break from cricket over mental health issues, haven’t been included.

Pucovski was on the verge of making it into the Australian squads ahead of the Pakistan Test series but pulled out on the eve of team selection. Maddinson had been named in the Australia A side for the tour game against Pakistan on the back of an outstanding run in the Shield but he too stepped down, before the encounter which could have potentially earned him a national team call up, sighting mental health issues.

"We are looking forward to having Nic and Will back playing for Victoria after receiving clearance from our medical staff. We'll continue to support all our players through their return to play," Shaun Graf, Cricket Victoria General Manager of Cricket, told Cricbuzz. 

Welcoming the return of the two players, Aaron Finch, Australia's limited-overs captain, stressed that importance must be given to players well-being. He also pointed out that mental well-being isn’t anywhere close to that of physical and hence should be taken care of properly.

"I think everyone's learning about (mental health) and it's a case-by-case scenario. It's not a hamstring injury that you can treat the same way for everyone. It's a really valuable lesson - the timings of things change case by case. It's a chance to make sure everyone is treated in the right way in their best interests and they get the best help," Finch said.