MacGill lends Warne a hand

Stuart MacGill has given Shane Warne, his possible legspinning partner for the Super Test, a vote of off-field support as well as labelling his Ashes performance "the best season ever". Warne's after-hours behaviour came under more scrutiny today following personal revelations in British tabloids, but MacGill told AAP "sportsmen were sometimes judged on things that the wider community was not subjected to".

"People certainly don't look at a man sitting in an office and judge him not only on his work but on his personal relationships and on his moral codes," he told the news agency. "I'm not condoning any activities that are not socially acceptable, but I do wonder sometimes whether it's appropriate for us to judge sportsmen and women and high-profile members of the community to such an extent ... based on our own moral judgments."

However, MacGill is excited about the prospect of bowling in tandem with Warne during the Super Test, which starts on October 14, and expects the SCG pitch to favour the slow men. "Wrist spinners on this pitch bowling together have taken a lot of wickets," he said. "Providing there is a lot of [sunshine], the wicket's going to be perfect for Shane and myself."

The pair last bowled together at the ground against Pakistan in January, when MacGill captured eight wickets and Warne five. Since then MacGill has watched Warne claim 40 victims on the Ashes tour and wished for another chance.

"If I was selecting the team [in England] I would obviously have been one of the first names picked, but I don't have to look at the bigger picture," he said. "I don't have to look at the balance of an attack. Those things may have been in favour of my non-selection."

MacGill, 34, also stepped into issue of Damien Martyn's dropping from the Test side when he said he didn't see why Martyn should be forced out when he was averaging almost 50. "It was a very, very harsh call and one that I'm personally very disappointed about," he said. "Everywhere else in Australian society we're trying to raise the age of retirement. I'm not sure why sportsmen have to suffer."