DARWIN, Australia, 29 June 2004 — Stuart MacGill said he’s surprised to be here for the Sri Lankan cricket series after taking a morale stand against touring Zimbabwe last April.
The leg-spinner thought his Test career was finished when he boycotted the Zimbabwe series, but he was a late inclusion in the Australian squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Australia’s two-Test series in Zimbabwe was subsequently canceled last month because of the weakness of the opposition although they did play three one-dayers.
And as a result of the row the Zimbabwe Cricket Union agreed this month to suspend its Test matches for the remainder of 2004.
MacGill was named last week as a replacement for injured fast bowler Brad Williams.
“To be honest until I just read the team sheet I wasn’t really sure of exactly who was in the squad,” said MacGill, who broke a family holiday in Venice to answer the selectors’ call.
MacGill expected that with leading leg-spinner Shane Warne declared fit, and left-arm spinner Simon Katich in the squad, he might struggle to get a game.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I just had a suntan after a couple of weeks (here), but you can’t really complain about that can you?”
MacGill thought he may have burnt his bridges when he advised selectors prior to the announcement of the Test and one-day squads that he did not believe he could tour Zimbabwe and maintain a clear conscience.
“I’d be lying if I said I never thought about that, because I think that was one of the considerations that I had to make,” MacGill said here on Monday.
