- Stuart MacGill says his lifestyle has changed since his legal woes
- Cricket great was found guilty of taking part in the supply of cocaine
Former Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill has opened up about how his life has changed since his legal troubles began, revealing that he cannot find work and is worried about the impact of the scandal on his children.
In May, the 54-year-old former leg-spinner was found guilty of taking part in supplying drugs for a deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law in April 2021.
Jurors found him not guilty of taking part in a large commercial drug supply but found him guilty of the lesser charge of supplying an indictable quantity of cocaine.
In his first interview since the high-profile court case, MacGill admits he has been unable to find full-time work and that he has become reclusive and ‘doesn’t open the curtains too much’ these days.
‘I am very lucky because depression has never been a big thing for me,’ he told the Howie Games podcast.
‘I get anxious. I won’t lie about that. I get very anxious.
Earlier this year, Stuart MacGill was found guilty of knowingly taking part in the large supply of a prohibited drug
The former Test cricket star, who played 44 matches and claimed 208 wickets, says he leads a quieter life than he used to
‘People talk about the half-full half-empty situation – well, I’ve always said I’m neither of them, I’m completely empty.
‘And the reason I say that is because if today is the worst day of your life, tomorrow is going to be slightly fuller. ‘
MacGill, who played 44 Tests for Australia and took 208 scalps, says he is drawing on techniques from his playing days to get his life back on track.
‘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.’
The cricket great said he worries about the stress his recent legal troubles have placed on his children.
‘My kids have had to put up with it,’ he said.
MacGill (pictured with Shane Warne) says he doesn’t suffer from depression but does get ‘very anxious’ sometimes
The Test great (pictured with Joe Root) said it’s easy for him to shut the media off, but it’s harder for his kids
MacGill is regarded as one of Australia’s greatest modern leg-spin bowlers
‘I can just turn the media off but… it is very difficult for kids to turn social media off.
‘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 also confessed he’s been impacted mentally by his inability to find full-time employment, although he has got some work as a cricket coach.
‘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,’ he said.
‘Lots of TV. But I don’t mind my own company, which is a good thing.’
‘I get lonely sometimes, but I think that’s happened to a lot of people since Covid…
‘My network used to be a big part of who I was.
‘I knew a lot of people and I have closed that right down since I have needed to manage my own environment a little bit more carefully.’
