Stuart MacGill's career timeline

Not your average spinner

Brydon Coverdale and Will Luke

June 1, 2008

	MacGill acknowledges the applause after achieving his best Test haul, 8 for 108 against Bangladesh © Getty Images

February 25, 1971 - Born in Perth, the son and grandson of former Western Australia cricketers.

October-November 1991 - Impresses for the Australian Cricket Academy with three five-wicket hauls.

February 2, 1994 - Makes his debut for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield against New South Wales. His fellow spinner and future Australia player Brad Hogg debuts in the same match.

July 1997 - In a brief stint for Somerset (he played one match for their first XI), he takes 6 for 15 in the seconds followed by 7 for 21 against Hampshire.

November 1997 - Having earlier switched from Western Australia to New South Wales, takes his first five-wicket haul for his new state when he picks up 5 for 54.

January 1998 - Outbowls his senior spinner, Shane Warne - who had a shoulder niggle - on his Test debut against South Africa at Adelaide.

October 1998 - Spins Australia to an innings victory over Pakistan in Rawalpindi with nine wickets, including his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests.

January 19, 2000 - Makes his one-day international debut and despite impressing with 4 for 19 against Pakistan, his entire ODI career spans one week and three matches.

December 2002 - Warne injures his shoulder during the 2002-03 Ashes, and Steve Waugh demands MacGill's recall. "I have gone on record that he's in the top couple of spinners in the world," Waugh said.

April 22, 2003 - Takes his 100th Test wicket when Carlton Baugh is out hit-wicket. MacGill is enjoying his status as Australia's No. 1 spinner after Warne was handed a drugs ban two months earlier.

April 21, 2004 - Pulls out of Australia's tour of Zimbabwe citing moral reasons. "I don't have ambitions as an activist or political spokesman," he said, "and I don't want to influence anybody else because this is a personal matter based on my own feelings."

September 2004 - Angered at missing out on selection for Australia's tour to India. "At this point in time I believe I'm a better onfield option than anyone outside Shane Warne," he said. "That's not a personal comment, it's a professional comment."

January 2, 2005 - Returns to Test cricket after a ten-month absence, picking up 5 for 87 against Pakistan in the first innings at the SCG and finishing with eight wickets for the match.

January 7, 2005 - "I honestly believe now I've proven to myself and I've proven to people who count that I can do it," he said, believing he was Australia's next spinning option after Warne. "I might outlast them all, and that's my major goal."

July-September 2005 - Watches from the sidelines as Australia lose the Ashes in England. Warne grabs 40 wickets in the series but MacGill is not picked for any of the five Tests and says "none of it made much sense to me".

October 2005 - Outperforms Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori in the Super Series Test, finishing with match figures of 9 for 82 in Australia's 210-run win.

April 2006 - Achieves his best figures in a Test innings by claiming 8 for 108 against Bangladesh in Fatullah.

August 2006 - Injures his knee at the boot camp organised by Australia's coach John Buchanan.

December 2006 - Reduces his workload slightly by retiring from domestic one-day cricket.

November 2007 - Becomes Australia's No. 1 Test spinner after Shane Warne's retirement earlier in the year and plays his first Test for 18 months when he turns out against Sri Lanka in Brisbane. Collects his 200th Test wicket by bowling Michael Vandort with a ripping legbreak. Achieves the milestone in his 41st Test, making him the equal fourth fastest to get there.

December 2007 - After battling with hand and knee injuries in the second Test against Sri Lanka, has surgery on his right wrist to deal with carpal-tunnel syndrome.

March 2008 - Makes his Pura Cup comeback following the operation and has a successful few weeks for New South Wales, grabbing four wickets in the final as they secure the title.

May 2008 - Returns to Test cricket for the first time since his surgery but struggles in Kingston against West Indies. Also has little impact in his first spell in the second Test in Antigua, leading him to retire from international cricket.

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