JAIPUR, Oct 16: Pakistan skipper Younis Khan is confident his team can overcome the loss of strike bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif at the Champions Trophy after the pair were withdrawn following positive drug tests.

The PCB withdrew the players from the squad on Monday after the anabolic steroid nandrolone was found in their samples from tests conducted before the event.

“It is very tough when you are without two of your important players,” Younis said on the eve of their opening tie match. “But I'm still positive.”

Pakistan will be left with only 12 players for Tuesday's fixture.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said the series of crises in the side in the last few months had left him dazed.

“It is difficult to understand why it is happening, but it is happening,” he said. “We have to get on with it.

“I'm pretty confident the team will take any adversity in its stride and rise to the occasion. Unfortunately the timing is not right,” he added. “But it happens, it happens.”—Reuters