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Cape Town - High-profile international television anchor and journalist Piers Morgan has seemingly had enough of facing premier pace bowlers in the nets.
VIDEO: OUCH! Brett Lee v Piers Morgan
Only weeks after taking a terrible six-ball pounding from Australian speedster Brett Lee while the Ashes series was on the go in Melbourne, the 48-year-old Morgan, who replaced retired legend Larry King on CNN and is a British-born former editor of London tabloids, seems lukewarm about the prospect of now trying to survive an over from Proteas spearhead Dale Steyn.
Using Twitter (@piersmorgan), he told his almost four million followers: “The heart says yes, the ribs say no.”
The challenge had earlier been issued by Steyn’s former SA and Titans team-mate Paul Harris (@paulharris12), who said to Morgan: “Would you come to SA to face @DaleSteyn62?”
The “Phalaborwa Express” seemed keen himself, weighing in with: “Let’s make this happen, Piers, Newlands is a gr8 place to come watch some cricket too, in handicap zone ... hehe.”
In trademark bullish fashion, Morgan did find the lustre to retort: “You don’t want to get me on the rebound from Brett Lee ... never take on a wounded animal.”
Lee had suggested in December that Morgan try his hand at facing searing pace after the sport-loving TV personality, who is an ardent Arsenal fan and unashamed admirer of England’s South African-born cricketer Kevin Pietersen, questioned his national team’s fortitude during the Ashes series which the Aussies won 5-0.
Lee controversially showed no mercy during the televised stunt, hitting Morgan four times on the body and even bowling bouncers that followed him as he stepped away to leg during the onslaught.
He was later criticised by New Zealand legend Sir Richard Hadlee, who described the blond paceman’s “brutal assault” as “extremely dangerous and unnecessary”.
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
