How a cricketer became a real estate agent: Mick Malone’s interesting story

Mick Malone is known for his Test debut during the Ashes 1977, when he took a five-wicket haul in his first innings.

Mick Malone is known for his Test debut during The Ashes 1977, when he took a five-wicket haul in his first innings and then scored 46. Malone could only play a solitary Test, and appeared in 10 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) before giving up the game in 1982. A teacher by profession, Malone took the plunge into real estate and has started off with his own agency in Perth. Nishad Pai Vaidya caught up with Malone and spoke to him about his life after cricket.

When you hear the name Mick Malone, you instantly go back to his Test debut in 1997 at the Oval against the old rivals. Australia had been humbled by England in the Ashes 1977 and were 3-0 down going into the final Test at the Oval. Malone was handed a Test debut and opened the bowling with Jeff Thomson. His spell of five for 63 bowled England out for 214. Batting at No. 10 during Australia’s reply, he scored 46, which is his best in First-Class cricket. Almost 38 years down the line, Malone runs his own real estate agency in Scarborough, Perth and cherishes the day he donned the Baggy Green. READ: Mick Malone’s all-round heroics on debut provide silver lining to dismal Australian show

Looking back at what is his only Test, Malone says, “Yes, it was an unbelievable Test. I thought I was lucky to get a game — it was the last game of The Ashes 1977 and we had already lost it 3-0. Greg Chappell, who was captain, let me play when I didn’t think I would get in. Everything fell my way when I bowled. It was wet at the Oval when I took the five wickets. What I couldn’t believe was that I scored 46, my highest First-Class score. I could have been out second ball for a duck but Tony Greig dropped me off Bob Willis.”

That remained Malone’s only Test match, but he did play 10 ODIs, the last of which came in 1982. Since he moved to the Kerry Packer World Series in 1977, he did not get more opportunities in Test cricket. His last appearance in representative cricket was back in 1982 and since then he has been a successful real estate agent. A teacher by profession, Malone had to choose a profession post retirement. A friend suggested real estate and there began the journey.

“I was a teacher before I played cricket. By the time I finished, I had a lot of broken service as I was away playing a lot of cricket. I was behind the other teachers, who had been on the job continuously. A friend of mine, in real estate asked me if I would like to try it and that is how it all began,” says Malone. But, starting off in real estate was no easy task and Malone had to make a few sacrifices. “Originally, I found it difficult as I had never done anything like. It took me a couple of years, before I started to find my feet and understand. At the time, I was doing some commentary and writing about cricket. I was also involved in a bit of cricket coaching. But, I had to give all that up to concentrate on real estate,” he says.

Although real estate keeps him busy, Malone has not lost touch with his passion. Though he may not be officially involved with cricket, he managed to keep in touch and knows about all the events. “I am always interested in it and often catch up with my former teammates. Time to time, I go to watch cricket and always know what is happening,” he says. Needless to say, he has kept an eye on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 as it has come to his home city, “I know all the results of the World Cup as I am following it quite closely. It is a marvellous event and I would have loved to play such a tournament in my day.”

Malone lives in a city which has produced numerous cricketing greats. The Western Australia team in the 1970s-80s was a formidable unit with some big names in their ranks. A look at the Team of the Century on the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) scoreboard is enough to tell you about their strength. “In my day, we had a fabulous team. I was lucky that most of the time I bowled with Dennis Lille at the other day. Then there was Rod Marsh behind the stumps. We also had Kim Hughes, who was a fabulous player, Terry Alderman, who was an Ashes hero. Geoff Marsh was a fabulous batsman. I also played alongside Ross Edwards, who played Tests for Australia. He took the catch what gave me my first wicket. I was very fortunate to play alongside such players,” Malone says.

Having charted out a good career in real estate, one has to ask the question: How would he compare this challenge with that of playing cricket? “It is a very different thing. I think real estate is a lot of hard work, as it was with cricket. But, cricket is a passion and I would have done it for nothing. I wouldn’t do real estate for nothing!” he signs off.

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)