Farewell MacGilla

Another test series and another high profile retirement from the Australian team. This time, Stuart MacGill, the fiery and confrontational leg spinner, hung up his boots after dismal performances in Jamaica and in the current test.

MacGill has been a good servant to Australian cricket, having to sit in the wings during Shane Warne’s dominance of spin bowling and taking wickets where he could. His career record makes impressive viewing, over 200 wickets at just over 28 and a strike rate of 53, an impressive rate for a spinner.

Unfortunately, in the twilight of his career, injuries and a disastrous loss of form put paid to his career, and hopefully people do not remember him in that way.

They will hopefully remember MacGill’s epic performance in the 1998-1999 Ashes series, where he bowled Australia to victory in Sydney with 12/107. Or when he often out-bowled his greater friend and rival, Warne, such as the ICC Supertest in 2005.

While he had many flaws in his character, including accusations of selfishness and being aloof from team mates, he was committed to keeping Australia on top and as one of the premire spinners in the world he was even at times superior to India’s Anil Kumble, another leggie.

What MacGilla’s retirement does is expose our lack of spinning depth. Australia has quality depth in other departments all around the country, from batsman, pacemen and keepers. It is our spinning stocks that have struggled, despite the popularity of Warne and MacGill.

Dan Cullen and Cullen Bailey, the South Australia boys, are struggling to break into their side, with Nathan Adcock’s off spin being more successful than Cullen’s. Aaron Heal is in need of more first class games but has talent, and the game seems to be up for Queensland’s Dan Doran and NSW’s Nathan Hauritz.

It leaves current Australian candidate Beau Casson and 36 year old Victorian leggie Bryce McGain, who showed great accuracy this Pura Cup and Ford Ranger Cup season. Casson performed well, especially late, in the Blues victorious Pura Cup campaign and deserves a shot in the next test.

However, the selectors may look to play four seamers and use Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds as their spin options. For the sake of entertaining cricket, let’s hope they give Casson a chance to possibly become the spinner Australia has been crying out for since Warne’s retirement.