In a column in the West Australian, Lillee said people still pointed fingers at him over what he called ``the now infamous betting scandal'' at the third Test in Headingley in 1981.

``I have never had any qualms over the matter and I have never lost a moment's sleep because of it,'' Lillee declared adamantly.

His comments come amid the controversy surrounding Australian stars Mark Waugh and Shane Warne, who have admitted they accepted money from an Indian bookmaker to provide information about the pitch and weather in Sri Lanka during an Australian tour four years ago.

Lillee, 49, who captured 355 Test wickets, said of the July 1981 game: ``I was just gazing out over Headingley when suddenly the odds relating to the result were flashed up quoting England at 500-1.''

``I had never seen such ludicrous oddsoffered for a two-horse race and announced to everyone in the dressing room, including the manager, I was going to have a 100 quid on the rank outsider.''

``Of course, they all said I was mad for thinking of throwing my money away and demanded that I put it on the bar at the end of the Test instead,'' Lillee said.

Warne unlikely

SYDNEY: Warne is almost certain to miss the remaining two Tests of the Ashes series with England despite recovering from his shoulder injury, national selector Allan Border said.

Border said Warne was improving steadily but was still well short of his best form. ``He's probably just a few weeks from bowling somewhere near his best so that will probably count him out of the Test series,'' Border said.Border also said the selectors were lucky to have such a creditable replacement in leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.

Warne was expected to make his Test return in the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG starting on December 26.