Stuart MacGill lifts the lid on Shane Warne, family, and how life changed after drug charge battle

Stuart MacGill admits he gets “very anxious’’ but is using a technique he learnt in Test cricket to get his life back on track after years of drug-related turmoil.

Stuart MacGill admits he gets “very anxious’’ but is using a technique he learnt in Test cricket to get his life back on track after years of drug-related turmoil.

Former Test leg-spinner MacGill was in May found guilty in the NSW District Court of knowingly taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug after introducing his regular cocaine dealer to his partner’s brother.

The judge called it “a colossal lapse of judgment’’ but MacGill was acquitted of the more serious charge of taking part in a large commercial drug supply.

In his first interview since the court case, MacGill told Mark Howard in the Howie Games podcast he leads a far more private life than he used to.

THEN: Stuart MacGill bowls for Australia in a 2007 Test match. Picture: AAP

NOW: Former test cricketer Stuart MacGill arrives at court. Picture: NewsWire

He candidly admits “I’m not flying’’ but his once flamboyant life-style has changed to the point where “he doesn’t open the curtains much.’’

“My network used to be a big part of who I was,’’ MacGill told Howard.

“I knew lot of people and I have closed that right down since I have needed to manage my own environment a little bit more carefully.

’’I am very lucky because depression has never been a big thing for me. I get anxious. I won’t lie about that.’’

MacGill quipped that where some people were classified as “glass half full or half empty’’ types he preferred to consider the glass “completely empty’’ because “there’s always an up.’’

“If you hit rock bottom there is sunshine ahead,” MacGill said.

“If anything particularly bothers me I just don’t think about it. I learned that through playing Test cricket.

“If you have a bad day don’t buy a paper. If you have a good day buy every paper in the stand.’’

Former Australian Cricketer Stuart MacGill leaves Downing Centre Court after sentencing on drug supply charges. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

FAMILY

MacGill said he was concerned his children had to put up with the strain of his plight but said a lighter moment came with his son Alex playfully stirring him with video highlights.

“I can just turn off social media but it is very difficult for the kids,” he said.

“I don’t care what people are saying about me but I do care what was happening to the kids and I know it has been very difficult for them.’’

MacGill said he shared similar interests to his 22-year-old son Alex who would put video highlights of MacGill’s career on and would occasionally switch to ones of him being hit around the park..

“If I was in another room he would put on me getting smashed by Damien Martyn and just leave it on. I would come in and think ‘here we go again. And Marto did smash me too, I might add.’’

Stuart MacGill celebrates a wicket during the 2002 Ashes series. Picture: AFP

WORK

MacGill is doing some coaching and Howard reveals his work is highly regarded by the likes of Shane Watson but has no permanent employment and does feel the gap in his life.

“Look, I’m not flying. I get a little bored to be honest because I am not working much,” he said.

“So I’m doing my coaching but other than that I’m not really working much which is a pain because I have a pretty active mind and trying to shut that off is hard work.

“Lots of TV. But I don’t mind my own company which is a good thing.’’

Stuart MacGill appeals for an lbw during a Test against South Africa in 2002. Picture: Phil Hillyard

THE MAN APART

MacGill does not dispute Howard’s suggestion he was different to the prototype Australian cricketer of his era and there were times when he deliberately escaped from the stresses of Test cricket.

“I was 28 before I played for Australia so I’d sort of done a lot of development,” he said.

“I didn’t grow up in the team. I worked in hospitality. Life was about food, wine, conversation and music.

“I loved reading books on tours because I found cricket very, very difficult.

“If you are thinking about cricket 24 hours a day and you are not having a good day it is a one-way ticket to disaster. I tried not to think about it unless I was at practice or in a game itself.’’

Spin bowlers Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill during a practice session in 1998.

THE WARNE FACTOR

While history paints the narrative that Warne blocked MacGill’s path to stardom, MacGill felt he would not have played international cricket had Warne not alerted the world to the joys of leg-spin bowling and believed the duo complemented each other.

“Shane was so incredibly effective – he just didn’t bowl bad balls,” MacGill said. “I did.

“He worked on trapping the batsmen in the crease. I worked on getting them to try and score from me.

“I had lunch with Ian Chappell recently and he said if ever there were two wrist spinners who could play together it was you two because you tried to do different things.’’

Stuart MacGill appeals for LBW during a Test against the West Indies in 2001. Picture: Gregg Porteous

THE BRADMAN MEETING

MacGill revealed that after the first day of his first Test against South Africa in Adelaide in January 1998 he went to an Adelaide restaurant with his parents and by chance met Sir Donald Bradman.

“Dad said Bradman’s sitting over there. Dennis Lillee is a family friend and he would have a fork halfway to his mouth and someone would disturb him so I left him alone. But when he was walking out of the restaurant I chased him and he said “I know who you are son, well bowled today and my goodness your grandfather (West Australian fast bowler Charlie) was a good bowler.’’ Then dad came rushing over and he said “hi Terry (a West Australian leg-spinner). I thought ‘how good was my dad.’’

Originally published as Stuart MacGill lifts the lid on Shane Warne, family, and how life changed after drug charge battle