Stuart MacGill, a former Australian cricketer, has been charged with participating in the distribution of a sizable commercial quantity of cocaine. The 52-year-old has represented Australia in 44 Test matches, was taken into custody by police on Tuesday at the Chatswood police station.
According to a police source, the suspected trade involved cocaine valued at more than $300,000. He has been given a strictly supervised bail and is scheduled to appear in Manly Local Court on October 26.
On April 14, 2021, MacGill allegedly fell victim to a kidnapping in the Cremorne neighbourhood of Sydney. MacGill was allegedly assaulted by four males at a property in Bringelly in western Sydney at around 8 o’clock local time. The individuals were later detained in connection with the incident.
The brother of Maria O’Meagher, a partner of Stuart MacGill, Marino Sotiropoulos, was also detained by the police in connection with the alleged kidnapping this year, which was connected to a cocaine supply transaction.
The arrest follows a probe into the suspected abduction of MacGill in April 2021 on Sydney’s lower north coast. Three men are accused of taking MacGill from his Cremorne house and driving him more than 60 kilometres to a residence in the city’s southwest where they allegedly attacked him and threatened him with a gun.
It is said that MacGill was driven to the Belmore region, located around 40 kilometres away, and released, about an hour later. Six Men for the alleged kidnapping after the event was reported to the police and they were expected to fight on the charges.
The international cricket career of Stuart MacGill was frequently tarnished by comparisons to Shane Warne. Warne was the team’s first-choice spinner during the era, despite the cunning spinner having several chances to show his prowess.
Two spinners in the starting eleven were a rarity for the Australian team. Thus, in Warne’s absence, MacGill was forced to make do with the few opportunities that were presented to him.
Despite having little playing time, MacGill caused no harm to himself. The leg-spinner took 208 wickets at an average of 29.03 in 44 Test matches. His 48.81 strike rate is the best in Test cricket for a spinner with at least 20 wickets.
He bowls right-arm leg spin and is known for having the highest strike rate of any contemporary leg-spinner. Although his bowling was a little bit slower through the air than Warne’s, he was a tremendous turner of the ball.
