Will Pucovski Named To Make His Return For Victoria

Star Victorian batsman Will Pucovski will return to the Sheffield Shield side to take on Western Australia on Friday.

Pucovski, who had taken time out of the game indefinitely due to a mental health issue, was named in Victoria's 12-man squad for the MCG clash.

"Will has progressed well in recent weeks, both in his training with the squad and through club cricket. The medical and coaching staff, together with Will, believe now is the right time to return,” Cricket Victoria's Dr Trevor James said.

Travis Dean will captain the side, while Chris Tremain has been released from the Test squad to play.

Nic Maddinson is also a chance to make his debut, while Cameron White returns to the side.

"We're delighted to see Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb lining up for Australia today. They've performed for Victoria for a long time, and deserve their opportunities to represent their country on home soil," Cricket Victoria's chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch said.

"Those three are obviously big losses to our batting stocks, but we have the depth in our squad, so we're confident we can fill those gaps.

"Nic Maddinson gets an opportunity to play his first shield game for Victoria. His 150 run knock last week against Tasmania was exactly what we wanted to see, and we hope to see Nic continue that form into this match."