InMobi

Langer seeks advice for Scorchers improvement

Perth coach consults Hawthorn mentor Clarkson ahead of semi-final date with Stars

Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer admits his team were too relaxed against the Melbourne Stars last weekend, saying they will not take anything for granted in their KFC Big Bash League semi-final at the MCG on Friday.

The Scorchers suffered a 52-run loss to the Stars at the WACA Ground last Saturday night, a loss which cost them a home semi-final.

Quick Single: BBL|05 team of the tournament

"We had a very poor performance last Saturday night and I think we maybe went into it a bit relaxed, because we had to lose really badly (to lose a home semi-final), and we did lose really badly," Langer said on Thursday.

"There's no-one to blame except ourselves.

"Now we're here, we've played really well in the eastern states the last few years and I'm looking forward to playing the Stars with a big crowd."

Watch: Hilfenhaus routs Scorchers

With the Scorchers playing for a third successive BBL title, Langer said the chance to secure a special place in history would provide added motivated for his charges, while he personally had sought advice from another man who specialises in winning sporting events many times in a row – Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson.

"We've got an unbelievable opportunity to win three in a row. I've just spent all morning talking to Alastair Clarkson, had a really good chance to catch up with him," Langer said.

"It was like three hours of gold with Alastair, mainly (talking about) bigger picture stuff, talking about our philosophies."

The Scorchers welcome back quicks Jason Behrendorff and Joel Paris for Friday's semi-final and hold a 3-0 record over the Stars when it comes to elimination matches.

However, those three matches were played at the WACA, not the MCG, and Langer is reluctant to read too much into that history.

"The Stars have got some fantastic players and (coach) Stephen Fleming is a really calming influence on them," he said.  

"For so many years they've been the Harlem Globetrotters and now everything they do has a real calmness."

Watch: KP's dropped catch

Stars import Kevin Pietersen was also reluctant to dwell on the Stars' record of semi-final defeats.

"The hardest thing to deal with throughout my career was the weight of expectation," Pietersen said.

"To put a weight of expectation on our shoulders to go out and deliver something extremely special ... that's the worst thing we can do.

"If we win, we win. If we don't, we don't."