He is the third Victorian player – joining Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson – to step aside this summer because of mental health issues. There will now be debate as to whether Pucovski would be best served to focus solely on state and grade cricket – at least for this summer – without the pressure and expectation that can come when striving for an international call-up, although one source close to Pucovski said the nature of the issue could mean he was fit for a call-up within weeks. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video There is no time frame for Pucovski's return. Hohns said he would not have a say in how best to handle Pucovski, Maxwell and Maddinson – the latter pair having taken an indefinite break.

"That's not really for me to say but they will be in the hands of people advising them and helping them," he said. Maxwell's issues are related more to burnout after a hectic year and Maddinson has issues away from cricket, while Cricket Victoria operations chief Shaun Graf said he was still determining how best to help Pucovski, who also has a history of concussion. "As far as Will's concerned, we're working through that issue and trying to get to the bottom of it," he said. Pucovski had been firmly in the Test selection mix although his recent had slipped since his century against South Australia on a docile Junction Oval deck. He since had scores of 64, 2, 3, 7 and 5. Former Test stars Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne and Dean Jones were among those calling for Pucovski's Test elevation but he made his own decision to step away before selectors Hohns and Justin Langer had met on Wednesday.

"It is a very unfortunate happening for him once again. He is a great player. He is going to be a very, very good player but, obviously, the timing wasn't quite right for him at the moment. He made the call to make himself unavailable," Hohns said. Loading Pucovski has spoken of mental health being a "dips and curves" issue, and had opted to bypass the Big Bash League this season, conceding Twenty20 cricket impacted on his focus, and is due to captain the Melbourne Cricket Club in Premier cricket when veteran Cameron White is away on BBL duty in January. As Cricket Australia, the Australian Cricketers' Association and mental health agency Orygen work on better prevention and assistance, Hohns – hailing from the old school when players did not open up – said it was pleasing to see the new generation express their emotions. "I am not qualified to talk too much about mental health but it is a subject that is coming to the fore more and more – not just in our sport but in other sports and in life in general," he said.