Risk with Will Pucovski return but ‘up to him’, says concussion expert

Chris Nowinski, a professional wrestler turned neuroscientist who has been a prominent figure in tackling the concussion crisis in US sports, said that advice could not be disputed and the outlook for cricketers avoiding long-term consequences from repeated head knocks was much better than for athletes in codes such as American football.

“The odds are [the concussions] won’t destroy his life, but there is a chance they will,” Nowinski told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age from Florida. “We just can’t quantify that risk and we can’t quantify the additional risk of one more concussion that could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

“My own personal experience was zero diagnosed concussions, even though I now know I had them, and then one gave me permanent symptoms, which are difficult to live with. No one can predict when the next one will bring a decade of headaches and all these other cascading issues.

“We’ve all just got to watch with bated breath and hope there is a happy end to the story. You hope with good education, good medical care and continued tweaks to the rules to protect the athlete, it will allow him to get through unscathed. But in that same conversation, we have to respect the fact that nine concussions in seven years is extraordinary and could be a real problem. We’re just not seeing it today.”

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Nowinski said there were few neurological findings that would prompt a doctor to tell an otherwise healthy athlete that they could not or should not resume the sport they loved.

“It’s a drip, drip, drip of a problem,” he said. “Each additional concussion makes you wonder what’s going to happen in the future. [Nine] is a big number and it’s almost certain there are some changes to his brain that are permanent that are not good. But make him stop? It’s up to him … he’s a grown man … as to how much risk he wants to endure.”

Paine said he wouldn’t have anxiety watching Pucovski face an inevitable burst of short-pitched bowling at the SCG to welcome him to the Test arena.

“There will be anxiety I’m sure for everyone watching someone play in their first Test match, there always is,” Paine said.

“Will has been hit in the head a few times, but he plays the short ball really well and as long as he’s comfortable we’re comfortable and so far he’s indicated that he’s good to go and it’s not a concern to him.”

Australia (likely): David Warner, Will Pucovski, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (c), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.