Karachi: The touring West Indies have the edge over Pakistan in this month’s Test series due to the absence of the banned Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, Brian Lara said on Tuesday.

“I don’t think there is any reason to hide the fact that we do have an advantage in their absence,” Lara told a news conference in Lahore on Tuesday.

The PCB last week banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one after they tested positive for nandrolone and were recalled from the Champions Trophy in India.

The first Test of the three-match series will be played in Lahore from November 11, followed by five ODIs.

The West Indies are touring Pakistan after their tour in 2002 was shifted to a neutral venue, Sharjah, for security concerns.

“No team likes to miss its key players and definitely Pakistan would be weakened by their (Shoaib-Asif’s) absence,” Lara said, adding Lara that it was an unfortunate and sorry episode.

“But I am not thinking about this advantage. In the end we still have to play very good cricket to beat them and Pakistan have other good bowlers and Kaneria (Danish) is one of them,” he said.