Tait tries for more consistency

Ricky Ponting has told Shaun Tait to take some time getting his line and length right before letting rip with his fastest deliveries. Tait, who took 2 for 45 from eight overs in Australia's World Cup opener against Scotland, has been asked to think about how he can contain batsmen as well as claiming wickets.

"Early on in the overs, I can get carried away and bowl too fast," Tait told The Courier-Mail. "Ricky said to me take it easy, have a couple of deep breaths and get your line right before you try and bowl 160kph and rip your shoulder off the bone. He just wants me to be pretty free and bowl like I bowl."

Tait is likely to take the new ball, bowl during powerplays and return at the death during Australia's title defence. However, the small dimensions of Warner Park, the St Kitts venue for Australia's group matches, mean he has little margin for error.

"If you get some unlucky nicks through third man or fine leg, it is pretty hard to cut off because they are such small boundaries," he said. Tait has used short-pitched deliveries effectively but realises he cannot afford to become predictable against quality opposition.

"You can't just keep coming in and bowling bouncers and going for heaps of runs," he said. "I have to be able to contain as well. The last couple of [warm-up] games I have done it OK. Through the middle period, I have done OK. From what I have seen so far, the inswinging yorker with reverse swing can be a good ball."