Former Test cricketer Stuart MacGill has avoided jail for his role in a $330,000 cocaine deal that was later linked to his kidnapping.

The 54-year-old was found guilty in March of knowingly taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug for introducing his regular cocaine dealer to his partner’s brother.

On Friday, he was sentenced in the NSW District Court to one year and 10 months imprisonment to be served in the community by way of intensive correction order

The court was told MacGill’s introduction of his dealer, known only as “Person A”, to Marino Sotiropoulos, led to the exchange of $330,000 for a kilogram of cocaine in April 2021.

With the jury earlier hearing his involvement was limited to that introduction, MacGill was acquitted of the more serious charge of taking part in a large commercial drug supply.

In sentencing MacGill, Judge Nicole Noman SC found MacGill did not know the amount of cocaine that would be exchanged but he “played an indispensable role in the preliminary discussions over a number of days and facilitated the supply by introducing the buyer to the supplier”.

“Although his knowledge was limited… his conduct resulted in the supply of one kilogram of cocaine. He did so for no perceived benefit,” she said, referring to MacGill receiving no money from the cocaine deal.

Noman said MacGill maintains his innocence and claims he had no knowledge that his introduction of “Person A” to Sotiropoulos would result in drug deals.

Days after the $330,000 cocaine exchange, the court heard “Person A” ripped off Sotiropoulos’s associates, leading to MacGill’s violent kidnapping.