Will Pucovski's Ashes hopes dealt a big blow as Australia names unchanged XI
Will Pucovski may have made a stunning start to his first-class career, but he may have to wait longer than this year to make his mark on an Ashes series.
Despite being named in the squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, Pucovski, along with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, were both left out of the XI as the home side opted to go into the Canberra Test unchanged.
Unfortunately for Pucovski, as the Australian summer rolls to a close, opportunities to impress the selectors will dwindle, with the precocious 20-year-old unable to play County cricket in England as he has never represented his nation at the international level and does not hold a British passport.
After slamming two centuries in his first eight first-class innings, Pucovski was a hot favourite to be one of the fresh faces in the Australian lineup for the first Test in Brisbane, before the selectors opted for Joe Burns and Kurtis Patterson to be vaulted into the XI instead.
Will Pucovski may have to wait beyond 2019 to make his Ashes debut AAP
The decision will come as yet another disappointment for many, including Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan, who criticised Australia's decision not to give Pucovski his debut in the first Test.
After mentioning that he thought the selectors "missed a trick" by not including Pucovski in the first Test, Warne took to Twitter to campaign for the selection of both the Pucovski and Stoinis.
"After a disappointing summer of cricket from the Aussies, choosing a World Cup (and) Ashes team isn't easy on the selectors," he tweeted.
"Keeping everything crossed that Stoinis (and) Pucovski get a chance in Canberra against a very depleted SL."
