Piers Morgan gets busted up by Australian bowler on cricket pitch (VIDEO)

After CNN's Piers Morgan criticized England's cricket team in November for being "too slow," former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee challenged him to a one-on-one battle so Morgan could get a taste of what the game is really like.

And the former America's Got Talent judge might have made the wrong decision by accepting. Think Charlie Rose facing Randy Johnson.

On Thursday, in front of 2,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, the pot-bellied Morgan suited up to face six balls from Lee — one of the fastest bowlers in the world — to hilarious and painful results.

Lee showed no mercy as Morgan was pummeled by the 90mph throws. The 48-year-old journalist backed away from nearly every delivery before landing on his fanny.

For the record, I didn't actually see a single one of @BrettLee_58 's deliveries. But I felt 4 of them crashing into my flesh.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 27, 2013

Morgan ended up bloodied, with a bruised rib and a cracked wrist but remained unbowed after his humbling experience.

"It's made me reassess what you need out here on an Ashes tour and that is courage, fortitude and a Churchillian spirit of never giving in despite overwhelming odds," he said.

Um ... whatever you say Guv'nor.

@piersmorgan war wounds! Bing is happy! pic.twitter.com/jwDFtQHorM
— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) December 27, 2013