LARA CONFIDENT IN PAKISTAN

Lara confident in Pakistan

November 7, 2006

Brian Lara has said that the absence of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, both involved in the doping scandal, will give West Indies the upperhand in their series against Pakistan. "I think there is no reason to hide the fact that it (the absence of Akhtar and Asif) would definitely give us the advantage," Lara said at a news conference in Lahore.

A 15-man West Indies squad arrived in Pakistan on Monday to play three Tests and a five-match one-day series. The first Test starts here on Saturday.

Lara, however, did not use this to start the mental disintegration, something he would have most gleefully done with Australia. "I am not worried about the advantage because what happened to Akhtar and Asif is a sorry situation. I came to know Akhtar in the World Series last year and although I don't know Asif much, he has shown potential. It is an unfortunate situation. No team would like to lose their key players but we will have to play good cricket and know we need to improve at Test level," said Lara, whose team has won only one game in their last 14 Tests.

In the one-dayers though, they are a team on the rise. They reached the final of the Champions Trophy in India and the DLF Cup in Malaysia, and also beat India in the home one-day series. Lara hopes his team would carry the same form into Test cricket. "The Champions Trophy was a one-day competition so it would be important to transfer the good form into Test cricket. The boys have this opportunity to do well in the subcontinent and they are keen to do well."

Despite the absence of the new-ball pair of Akhtar and Asif Lara believes Pakistan still has other good bowlers like leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, "who has been successful against us in recent times so we will have to be at our best to beat them."

Even if this could be Lara's last visit to Pakistan he has fond memories of the place as he had made his international debut in Lahore 16 seasons ago. "My first tour was also of Pakistan and I have good memories of this country. I want to leave a nice legacy. These three Tests are important and we hope it would be a good series."

West Indies are touring Pakistan after a gap of nine years. When last due they had refused to tour because of security fears just after the 9/11 attacks. Then Pakistan had to play two Tests at Sharjah. This time around there are no fears and Lara said the team was now comfortable playing in the country. "You never know what's going to happen. But we look forward to play and enjoy cricket," he said.

The second Test will be played at Multan from November 19 while the third and final match is scheduled in Karachi from November 27.

 

:: CRICINFO