Dein erstes Forum » South Africa in 2012. Pakistan also w

In the middle of the summer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, I swung by the No. 48 transporter to check in with my close friend Scott Maxim, engine specialist for Hendrick Motorsports, around the same time practice was ending.Suddenly crew chief Chad Knaus whistled in followed by a few crew members, driver Jimmie Johnson trailing the group. They huddled at the front of their transporter. The atmosphere was tense and edgy, evident through the body language of the teams leader, Knaus.A few months later I made the same visit. It was Dover, Chase race No. 3, and this time the mood was relaxed, composed. While urgency was still present, there was no sense of panic in the camp.The contrast between the two Fridays was extreme, and it left an impression on me, enough that I mentioned to Knaus how impressive it was that he had kept this group from tearing itself apart in the midst of his and Johnsons longest winless streak together.Its obvious now that the six-time champs had rediscovered their magic, but I can honestly say, it wasnt obvious to me then.Ive always been quick to Identify Jimmie Johnson as the key to the No. 48 teams success. That comes from a basis of studying, evaluating and understanding drivers and their responsibilities. Its who I am. Its what Ive spent the majority of my life doing.Less obvious to me is the impact crew chiefs have, and thats not because I didnt experience their value as much, but rather I may not have appreciated it as much as I should have early in my career.That comes from having built, and maintained, my own race cars early in my career. It was an asset early because it put me ahead of my competitors, but became a liability late because I became less willing to experiment.The same effects may have hindered two of the best I ever competed against, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin. Wallace was more talented than the one title he has; he was worthy of three in my mind. And Martin was every bit his equal, but ended his career with none.These two drivers understood race cars as well as any in NASCAR ... at least for a while.But as the sport evolves, becomes more technical, drivers with deep race car knowledge become less open-minded than those who simply want to drive.Its why Jimmie Johnson is so unique, so disciplined. Johnson -- perhaps more than any driver I know -- understands his role, is consumed by it, and doesnt allow any outside noise to interfere with his responsibilities.A common practice for struggling drivers, particularly late in their career, is to reinvent themselves through a crew chief swap. The hope is that a new leader fosters new ideas, recreates an energy that had disappeared -- a spark if you will. Johnson and Knaus have resisted that practice, and I admire the hell out of what they have done because of their loyalty to one another.Chad brings the best out of Jimmie, he holds the passwords to the 48 teams files, and more than ever before, I believe Chad Knaus has demonstrated his value to the Hendrick organization.Ive observed and pondered the 48 team all year. Ive witnessed tension strong enough to cause an implosion. But it doesnt happen with this group. Its bond appears impenetrable.The Bottom LineJimmie Johnsons win last week is a game-changer for most Chase brackets. Few had the 48 in their Miami final four; it just didnt seem logical in early September.Johnson, as we sit today, is the only driver not having to worry about the consequences of playing Russian roulette next Sunday in Talladega. Thats an enormous mental advantage.The team has a clear advantage in prepping three cars for three races in the third round that represent Jimmie Johnsons second-, third- and fourth-best averages of all NASCAR tracks, and if thats not enough to convince you team 48 is destined for Homestead, this should be:No driver is immune from waning confidence; it causes an athlete to try harder, perhaps too hard, at the wrong time. Its effects lead to mistakes (like speeding on pit road on the final stop of the day) when you may have had the car to beat.Even with his confidence diminished some, Johnson is more dangerous than most. With his confidence peaking, the 48 teams only kryptonite comes in the form of mechanical issues.Johnson more than likely wins one of the three races in the third round, which positions him for that coveted seventh Sprint Cup title.I reached out to congratulate Johnson following his win, and in his response was something I found very profound.Keep in mind, I consider Johnson among the most humble human beings on the planet. He is proof you can be confident, be great, but not need to remind anyone of it.So I found it compelling at the end of our exchange when he declared this: More to come!Dare any of us doubt him?Ichiro Suzuki Jersey . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. 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Robert Dugger Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse.Match FactsSaturday, August 27, Lords Start time 10.30am (0930GMT)The Big PictureThe rain that swept in for the closing stages of Wednesdays first ODI provided an anticlimactic finale for a packed ensemble at the Ageas Bowl, but not even the weather could disguise another formidable show of all-round strength from an England one-day team that is starting to look like something really rather special.Unbeaten in ODIs this summer, ever since Liam Plunketts six at Trent Bridge swiped a tie in their opening game against Sri Lanka in June, England have showcased the sort of depth and balance that would be the envy of a Russian synchronised swimming team.At no stage in Pakistans somewhat old-school grind to 260 for 6 did they ever look like setting a total that would trouble an extraordinarily confident England line-up, and if Jason Roys dizzy spell was an alarming moment in an otherwise serene chase, then his brief disorientation was nothing compared to the spin that his power-packed innings had already inflicted on his opponents.England, therefore, are surely ripe for a fall. Nothing guarantees an English comeuppance more readily than the suggestion that they have finally cracked one format or another (the prosecution calls for its first witness: the fourth Test at The Oval). And if any team is capable of penetrating Englands wall of allrounders in their batting ranks, it is Pakistan with players such as Wahab Riaz or the surely-to-be-recalled Yasir Shah, whose individual bursts of brilliance can transcend mere circumstance.But even on the bowling front, the evidence from the opening ODI is that England have the edge. Mark Woods stunning speed on his return to action provided a point of difference that Wahab, for one, couldnt emulate this time out, while Joe Roots cheeky allsorts offspin - and the early wicket of Mohammad Hafeez - epitomised the confidence coursing through Englands one-day ranks. And theres variety in their depth as well. In Adil Rashid, they possess one of the most reliable legspinners in modern one-day cricket - his new-found control, allied to an always deceptive googly, makes him extraordinarily hard to dominate.However, domination is what Pakistan may require to get back on level terms in this series. Their batting in the first match was undermined by a very untimely rain delay after 42 overs that swiped the momentum from a promising stand between Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik, and arguably cost them 20-30 runs in the final reckoning. But even a total in the region of 300 might not have been sufficient to deter Englands advances.That said, theres no knowing how unsettled Englands players will be following last nights security briefing ahead of their forthcoming tour of Bangladesh. The tour is set to go ahead, but one or two players will surely be harbouring a few doubts about travelling in spite of the ECBs efforts to allay their fears. Theyll need to push all such thoughts to the backs of their minds if they want to continue their upward surge.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)England WWWWT Pakistan LWLLLIn the spotlightIf Alex Hales is enduring something of an ebb in form and fortune, then his opening partner, Jason Roy, is positively flowing at present. He put his funny turn at the Ageas Bowl down to a lack of sugar, but he could not have timed the ball any sweeter in rampaging to 65 from 56 balls, and a summers tally of 381 runs from 320 balls, at an average of 95.25 and a strike rate of six runs every five balls. In between whiles he has clocked up his first first-class century of the summer, for Surrey against Middlesex on this very ground three weeks ago, to drop a subtle hint that his talents and technique need not be confined to white-ball cricket forever.Mohammad Amirs summer has been one of intermittent highs and lengthy periods of frustration. On Wednesday he watched yet another chance go down off his bowling - Sarfraz spilling a top-edge from Roy to add to the seven drops that Amir endured during the Tests.dddddddddddd It cannot help that his every move has been scrutinised all summer long, and theres little question that he is struggling for form in a way that he rarely experienced during his comet-like first coming as a teenager. But now, with the circus moving back to the scene of his mis-steps in 2010, he has another opportunity to charge in and let rip. If he was palpably nervous on his first return to Lords during the Test match, then maybe, with the emotion of that day behind him, hell emerge from the pavilion feeling rather more liberated by the occasion.Team newsDavid Willey remains out of contention with his hand injury, but Chris Jordan would be raring to go after a successful recent spell for Sussex although Woods impressive comeback makes changes seem unlikely. Ben Stokes will play as a batsman once again as he continues his injury comeback, while Roots successful spell at the Ageas Bowl means that Liam Dawson is surely superfluous as a third spinning option. If he isnt selected, Jonny Bairstow is likely to be released for Yorkshires Royal London semi-final against Surrey on Sunday.England (probable) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Mark WoodYasir Shah was overlooked for the first match in favour of the greater control that Imad Wasims left-arm tweakers were able to impose, particular in the Powerplays. But Pakistan surely wont be making that same mistake again. They need wickets by the bucketload if they want to keep Englands batsmen under wraps, and Yasir has a presence that cannot be under-estimated - especially after his heroics in last months Test win. Mohammad Amir will have to come through a fitness test after leaving the field in Southampton with a side problem.Pakistan (possible) 1 Sharjeel Khan, 2 Azhar Ali (capt), 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz/Imad Wasim, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Mohammad AmirPitch and conditionsThere is a bit of grass at present on another typically true Lords pitch, which may tempt England to contemplate an extra seamer in place of Moeen Ali, whose bowling has been a bit subdued in recent weeks. But then again, the baking hot weather in London at present will surely persuade them otherwise. Another high-scoring contest seems on the cards.Stats and triviaEngland have recently lost that winning feeling in Test cricket at Lords, but its nothing new where their one-day fortunes are concerned. Theyve been beaten in their last three ODIs at HQ, with their most recent win coming against South Africa in 2012. Pakistan also won their most recent ODI at Lords, beating England by 38 runs in an emotionally charged contest soon after the 2010 spot-fixing saga, perhaps best remembered from an altercation in the nets between Wahab and Jonathan Trott.Jos Buttler, who did not bat on Wednesday, still needs 22 runs for 2000 in ODIs - he has the highest strike-rate of the year (126.51) of any batsman with more than 200 runsQuotesIts tricky for us at the moment, weve got a game tomorrow and international cricket needs your full focus to perform well. Its down to us to try and put those things to one side, the decision has been made by the board and now we get on with the job in hand.Jos Buttler recognises the need to put the Bangladesh security situation to one side ahead of tomorrows match.Were going to build a team we think can compete in a year or twos time. The invitation is there to every player: step up or well find somebody else who can step up, its as simple as that.Mickey Arthur lays down the challenge to his players ' ' '