His early nickname was "Crazy" but it later became "Big Roy". Whitney played all of his club cricket for the Randwick Cricket Club in the Sydney Grade Competition. Since 2001 he has been the President of the Randwick-Petersham Cricket Club. He played 94 First Class matches for New South Wales from 1980 to 1993. He is one of only three fast bowlers to take more than three hundred first class wickets for New South Wales. The others are Geoff Lawson and Trent Copeland. He was named New South WalesCricketer of the Year in 1988-89 and was part of 4 Sheffield Shield winning teams. In 5 Sheffield Shield Finals appearances he took 25 wickets at 19.28. Whitney's Test debut came in unusual circumstances. Australia was touring England in 1981, and Whitney was in England playing Northern League Cricket in Lancashire for Fleetwood Cricket Club and some County Cricket for Gloucestershire. Injuries to Rodney Hogg and Geoff Lawson in the Australian squad led to Whitney playing the final two tests of the tour. He was the first Australian Test Cricketer to be selected this way. He later played 10 more Tests between 1987 and 1993. His best performance was in 1992. He took 11 wickets in a match against India in Perth including 7 for 27 in the second innings. He was named Man of the Match. Whitney also took 7 for 89 in the first innings of the 5th Test against the West Indies in Adelaide in 1989. He toured the West Indies in 1991 and Sri Lanka in 1992. He also played 38 One Day Internationals, and was Australia's leading wicket-taker and most economical bowler in the 1992 World Cup. A notoriously poor batsman, in 1987, while playing in the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand and batting at number 11, he survived 18 deliveries and held off Sir Richard Hadlee to help secure a draw for Australia. Australia won the series 1-0 and won back the Trans Tasman Cup. It was Alan Border's first series win as Australian Captain. Whitney is a Life Member of Cricket New South Wales and the Randwick Petersham Cricket Club.
Rugby league administrator
On 8 March 2009, Whitney was inducted as a life member by the South Sydney Rabbitohs for his contribution in being a Director and Deputy Chairman on the Football Club Board in the critical period during the club’s battle for reinstatement to the competition between 1999 and 2001. He also played a decisive role with media personality Andrew Denton and lawyer Nick Pappas in attracting fellow Life Member Kerry Stokes to the club as a major sponsor just before its readmission to the competition in 2002, a coup that ensured the club’s ability to make its triumphant return to the NRL competition.
Television Presenter
Since retiring from cricket, he has worked in the broadcast media. In 1994 Whitney hosted 'Great Ideas' for the ABC. In 1995 he starting working for the Seven Network and was the host of Sydney Weekender for 25 years. Sydney Weekender ceased production at the end of 2019 after 26 years. Nationally, he was the host of Who Dares Wins from 1996 to 1998, and was also popular in India on AXN network alongside Tania Zaetta. From 1995 to 1996 he was the referee on the Australian version of TV game show Gladiators. In 2007 Whitney hosted 'Last Chance Learners'. He also worked as a reporter at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games for the Seven Network.
''Quick Whit'' (1995) and ''Whiticisms'' (1996)
Whitney wrote a book of memoirs and a book of stories from his cricket playing days and his travels.
Speaking
Whitney is a much sought after speaker. He has been on the 'Corporate' and 'After Dinner' speaking circuit for 35 years.
Mike Whitney Band
Since 2007, Whitney has toured with his cover group, The Mike Whitney Band, which mainly did gigs around Sydney, but also played in RSL clubs and pubs throughout Australia. The band also did charity work, playing music to raise money for Australians in need. Whitney played the tambourine and sang lead vocals for the band. After thirteen and a half years, the band played its last gig at the Bayview Tavern in the Sydney suburb of Gladesville on June 8, 2019. The band played a final encore at North Ryde RSL on June 29, 2019. Whitney now gigs with a band called 'Oz Icons', with Wayne 'Junior' Pearce and Eric 'Guru' Grothe.
