SCG MacGill of Australia

Full Name:

Stuart Charles Glyndwr MacGill

DoB:

Thursday, February 25, 1971

Birthplace:

Mount Lawley, WA

Teams:

New South Wales

Test Debut:

v South Africa at Adelaide, 1998

ODI Debut:

v Pakistan at Sydney, 2000

Bats:

RH

Bowls:

Leg break

Player Record:

link to stats

Stuart MacGill is a more dangerous wicket-taking bowler than Shane Warne because his legspinner turns more and he retains a big-spinning, well-disguised googly.

Statistics back up this assertion because MacGill's strike rate in 33 Test matches prior to the Ashes was a wicket every 54.55 balls, significantly better than Warne's 59.07.

That Warne has been preferred over the past few years is because he gives Australia much greater control. While he rarely bowls a loose ball, MacGill, more the traditional leggie, is always likely to bowl one four-ball an over in his search for gargantuan spin.

Another factor that has worked in Warne's favour is that his batting and fielding are far superior to MacGill's.

But when MacGill has had a chance he has performed wonders, revelling in the intensity of the Test match environment. When Warne was injured during the 1998-99 Ashes series, England breathed a collective sigh of relief until MacGill span Australia to victory with 24 wickets in the series.

When Warne was absent in 2003-04 because of his drugs ban, MacGill grabbed 53 wickets in 11 games and demonstrated without question that he is a great bowler who has got better with age.

Unfortunately, opportunities to bowl in tandem with Warne, like a latter-day O'Reilly and Grimmett, have been rare. But in MacGill's last Test to date, against Pakistan at Sydney in January, they took a combined total of 13 wickets. That MacGill took eight to the great Warne's five is another illustration of what an unlucky man he is to have been around at the same time.

MacGill is an unlucky man to come through at the same time as Warne because for any other country he would be the number one leggie every time.

He's not as accurate as Warne but he turns the ball more and right now he's probably a bigger match-winner. He might go for a few more runs but he'll pick up more wickets in that time.

He's had a phenomenal season with New South Wales and won the Steve Waugh medal, a big thing for him because he's previously shown his best form in the intense environment of Tests.

I hope Australia consider playing two spinners at some stage when the pitch is conducive to turn because he and Warne are such different bowlers.

MacGill is very eccentric and has a hot-headed streak that means he can fly off the handle on the field at times. He's a connoisseur of food and wine and, though he's very sociable, is too much of an individual to get off on all the team-oriented stuff.