Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has recovered from the injury that he sustained last week and will be available for his team's Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi, as per sources. There were lots of doubts over the star pacer's fitness, which is expected to be key to Pakistan's chances of defending the title.

A source close to the Pakistan side confirmed to PTI on Sunday, February 16 that Rauf, who sustained a muscular strain in his lower chest wall during the recent tri-series tournament, has recovered and will play in the Champions Trophy opener in Karachi.

Rauf went off the field two deliveries into his seventh over of the first match of the tri-series and the Pakistan Cricket Board later revealed that he complained of pain in the left side of the chest and abdomen muscles, which was later confirmed to be a low-grade side strain.

“Haris is okay now and the rest given to him after the first match of the Tri-Series has helped him recover well," the source told PTI.

Rauf, one of Pakistan's key bowlers with his express pace and capability to take wickets in the middle overs, has remained with the team despite the selectors calling up uncapped Aqif Javed as a backup for him.

Rauf has a haul of 83 wickets in 46 ODIs and another 110 wickets in 79 T20Is as he has built a reputation as a specialist white-ball bowler.

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir had on Saturday, February 15, expressed his concerns on a TV channel about Rauf's fitness for the upcoming tournament. The former claimed that if Rauf had suffered a side strain it would take over a month to heal.

“If Haris Rauf has a side strain, he cannot recover fully before six weeks. If it’s just stiffness, then that’s different. If it is a grade one or two side strain, no matter what, it will take six weeks and then the rehab starts," Amir said.

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