'Panicking' Stars need cooler heads: KP

Melbourne Stars marquee signing Kevin Pietersen says his side need to "put the panic away" or risk another loss in their KFC Big Bash League campaign.

The Stars suffered their second-straight defeat on Wednesday night, beaten by the Thunder and Eoin Morgan's last-ball six in a pulsating rematch of last season’s final after losing to cross-town rivals the Renegades on New Year’s Day. 

Quick Single: Morgan's last-ball maximum keeps Thunder alive

“We have to get some wins under the belt,” said Pietersen, who top-scored for his side with 60 in the Stars’ six-wicket loss.

“I think we normally lose our first two (matches) so we’re at the same stage as we are every single season.

“But it’s not a place where we should be.

“We should have won the other night too (against the Renegades).

“The rain sort of messed us around there and we lost 11 runs, two overs and that put a bit of panic in.

“The team that panics first in T20 cricket loses and we panicked there (against the Renegades) and we panicked this evening.

“We need to put the panic away.”

Quick Single: Miracle man Morgan reflects on BBL heroics

While the Stars have come back from worse starts – they were 0-3 in the 2014-15 season before winning the next five to make the finals – Pietersen says if his side fails to remain calm in the pressure moments they will not get anywhere this season.

The former England captain says the genesis of the club’s panic stems from their loss to the Renegades in front of 71,162 fans at the MCG where rain reduced the Stars’ target from 172 from 20 overs to 159 from 18.

The run chase finished seven runs short with three run-outs emphasising the frantic nature of T20 cricket and the desperation of the hosts.

“I think the panic came from the rain the other day (against the Renegades) where we thought we were hard done by in terms of Duckworth-Lewis,” he said.

“Duckworth-Lewis is a waste of space in T20 cricket, it needs to be rewritten.

“The way we lost two overs and only 11 runs – nonsense.

Quick Single: The seven-ball over that never was

“This evening it was just the execution at the end there.

“We probably needed a bit more of a batter in (during the final stages of the Stars’ innings).

“I should have batted for the rest of the innings, (it was) a pretty good catch from 'Watto' (Shane Watson, to dismiss him).

Pietersen, never one to shy away from sharing his honest opinion, was candid when asked to pinpoint where the Stars lost against the Thunder.

“The last four or five overs of the batting wasn’t special,” Pietersen said. “Then we didn’t start the bowling as well as we could have.

“And then Eoin Morgan played really well.

“We tried real hard to lose that game and we did.”

The former England captain failed to take to the field in the second innings at Spotless Stadium due to a niggle in his groin but is confident he’ll be fit to play in the Melbourne derby rematch at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

“I’m good, I’m fine,” he said. “I just didn’t want to field on a wet surface with a little bit of a groin strain and go and run around and carry on like an athletic 22-year-old who we saw the other day.

“We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up and we’re going to lose quite a few players now (to international duty).

“We’ll lose three, four players and if I go and rip my groin off tonight that’s another loss.

“It’s about man-management and managing injuries.

“I just wanted to manage this and I’ll be good for Saturday.”