Perth: Fast bowler Mick Malone made his Test debut for Australia - against England at the Oval in 1977 - and came away with a fifer (5-63) in his first innings. But he never donned his whites to bowl for Australia in Test cricket again. He still loves white and yesterday, the 64-year-old was in a crisp white shirt when mid-day caught up with him at Mick Malone Real Estate company on Scarborough Beach Road here.


Former Australia fast bowler Mick Malone at his real estate agency on Scarborough Road, Perth yesterday. Pic/Ashwin Ferro  

In an interview, the tall, strapping former Western Australian pacer hailed India's chances of doing well at Perth against not just UAE (February 28) but also against West Indies (March 6) given the track had changed considerably - from the speedy strip it used to be in his heydays to a dry, brown wicket. Malone had an indirect, innocent role to play in one of the most ugly incidents in cricket – the underarm delivery bowled by Trevor Chappell on instructions from his elder brother Greg.