Younus Khan fit but Bracken out

The Pakistan captain recovers from his finger injury, but Australian fast bowler Nathan Bracken returns home with a knee injury.

JOHANNESBURG // The Pakistan captain Younus Khan will be available for the Champions Trophy match against India despite a finger injury, the Pakistani board say but in the Australia camp, the left-arm bowler Nathan Bracken will miss the whole tournament with a knee injury. Younus was absent from Pakistan's opening victory over the West Indies yesterday after suffering the injury in a warm-up match.

"Younus suffered a minor hairline fracture in his right-hand finger during Pakistan's practice match against Sri Lanka. But he will play against India," a spokesman said. "He could have been available for the match against West Indies but team management decided not to take the risk so he could be fit for the game on September 26 at Centurion." Meanwhile Bracken is returning home due to his knee injury.

The 32-year-old is battling a long-term knee problem and it was decided that the best course of action was for him to return home to undergo assessment. "The nature of Nathan's right knee problem has meant that he has had some ongoing manageable pain, but this has now reached a point where he is unable to continue playing in the ICC Champions Trophy," the Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said.

"He will return to Australia to consult a knee specialist for an opinion on the best course of action. His return to cricket will be determined after consulting the specialist." One of the world's best limited overs bowlers, Bracken's ability to swing the ball and keep things tight will be sorely missed. A decision on a replacement player will be made by the National Selection Panel in the coming days and will need to be confirmed by the ICC's Technical Committee before being announced.

Australia begin the tournament against the West Indies on Saturday. * Agencies