By IANS,
Melbourne : West Indian batting legend Vivian Richards has heard the cracking sound of cheekbones quite often in his career when he used to unleash his fearsome pace attack on hapless opponents in the 1980s and watch them spite fire. That intimidating sight was a spectacle in cricket.
Richards said that he sees the same fire in Brett Lee. He paid Lee the highest accolade to Lee, saying that the Australian quick could match it for intimidation with the best of the former West Indian skipper’s feared attack.
Richards unleashed some of the most frightening bowlers of all time in Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Curtly Ambrose during the Windies’ world domination of the 1980s and early 90s.
Richards, who rates former Aussie paceman Jeff Thomson the fastest he faced, believes Lee has the ability to strike just as much fear in batsmen.
“I think he’s (Brett Lee) certainly up there with those guys,” Richards was quoted as saying in The Australian.
“I think it is hard to assess what took place from then to now … but I think when he’s called upon to do it, he’s just as good as any.”
Lee, who has been clocked several times at quicker than 160kmh, became the fastest bowler to 300 one-day international wickets in Australia’s series-clinching victory over the Windies in Grenada Sunday – reaching the mark in his 171st game, 15 quicker than Waqar Younis (186 ODIs).
“What I have been impressed more than anything in Brett Lee is his fitness, and no matter what time of the day you call on Brett Lee he’s going to be 100 per cent,” Richards said.