Stuart MacGill, a former Australian cricketer, has admitted to dealing with anxiety, unemployment, and worries about the mental impact of his circumstances on his children. MacGill was recently convicted of facilitating a cocaine transaction between his partner’s brother and an addicted drug dealer.
The 54-year-old received a community sentence after serving as the intermediary in a $330,000 deal for one kilogramme of cocaine. The encounter was scheduled beneath his eatery on Sydney’s North Shore. Although MacGill denied knowing about the drug sale, he did admit to buying half a gramme of cocaine from the same dealer on a daily basis for $200.
“I don’t care what people say about me, but I do care about what’s going on with the kids, and I know it’s been difficult for them,” MacGill told the Howie Games Podcast.
“I am incredibly fortunate since depression has never been an issue for me. I become anxious. I will not lie about that. I get quite anxious. People talk about the half-full, half-empty condition, but I’ve always claimed I’m neither; I’m absolutely empty. And the reason I say that is because if today is the worst day of your life, tomorrow will be marginally better,” he said.
MacGill, who took 208 wickets in 44 Tests for Australia, says he is using the skills he learnt during his cricket career to help him get his life back on track. He was particularly concerned about the psychological impact his legal difficulties will have on his children.
“If you reach rock bottom, there is sunshine ahead. If anything upsets me, I simply don’t think about it. I learnt this when playing Test cricket. If you are having a horrible day, do not buy a newspaper.
“If you have a good day, buy every paper on the stand,” Stuart MacGill said.
“My children have had to put up with it. “I can turn off the media, but it’s difficult for kids to turn off social media,” he explained.
The New South Wales native also discussed the difficulties of getting consistent employment, despite having secured some work as a cricket coach.
“I’m doing my coaching, but other than that, I’m not working much, which is a headache since I have a very active mind, and shutting it off is difficult. Lots much television. But I enjoy my own company, which is a wonderful thing. I feel lonely at times, but this has been a common experience since COVID-19. My network used to be an important part of who I was. I knew a lot of people, and I’ve shut it down because I needed to handle my own surroundings more carefully,” the former cricketer said.
India
