PERTH, April 30: Australian fast bowling legend Dennis Lillee hit back here on Wednesday after being described by former West Indies’ batting icon Sir Vivian Richards as a “huff and puff” merchant.

Richards, now West Indies chairman of selectors, reportedly said in the Caribbean that Lillee had lost his aggression after the West Indies discovered a crop of electrifying pacemen, including Michael Holding and Joel Garner, in the late 1970s.

The bitter verbal exchange blew up on the eve of the third Test in Barbados, with Australia leading a four-match series 2-nil.

Richards had effectively accused Perth-based Lillee of cowardice, the West Australian said.

It said Richards had implied Lillee had stopped bowling bouncers regularly because he feared what he would receive in return.

Richards said Lillee lost his impact when he had to play against a team capable of returning fire.

“Lillee realised what would be coming at him,” Richards said.

“You could see it in Lillee. He was all huff and puff, but he wasn’t quite the same later on.”

Lillee said Richards’ comments were laughable.

“What a heap of bulldust,” he said. “Viv must have a short memory or a very selective memory.

“If Viv actually made that comment, he must have forgotten a fair bit. “None of them frightened me, and I certainly did not back off.”

Lillee, 53, captured 355 Test wickets — 55 against the West Indies in four series between 1973 and 1982.

Lillee dismissed Richards nine times in Tests, more than any other bowler.

Additionally, Lillee snared Richards seven times while snapping up 45 wickets in 10 World Series Cricket Tests against the West Indies between 1977 and 1979.

The West Indies’ extreme pace dominated world cricket from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, including the second half of Lillee’s career.—AFP