<p class="title">Pace spearhead Mohammad Amir is fit and available for selection for Pakistan's opening World Cup match against the West Indies on Friday, captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was speculation that the 27-year-old, who missed the last four matches of the one-day international series against England earlier this month, might not be able to make his World Cup debut at Trent Bridge.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Amir is fully fit and available for selection for tomorrow's game," Sarfaraz said in his pre-match press conference.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Amir, who missed the 2011 and 2015 World Cups due to a five-year ban for spot-fixing, was seen bowling using his full run-up in the team's practice session.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sarfaraz said he hoped the team could put behind them a streak of 10 straight ODI defeats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Yes, we have lost 10 matches but we have to forget that and start the World Cup journey," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Asked if he was worried about the short boundaries and a flat pitch at Trent Bridge, Sarfaraz said: "When we came here on the first day and asked the groundsman what is the par score he told us that it's 480."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Top-ranked England have scored 400-plus twice at this ground, 444-3 against Pakistan in 2016 and a world record of 481-6 against Australia last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Cricket has changed. People used to think that 300 was a par score but it has changed. We will have different pitches in the World Cup so if a team scores 300-plus then the other team will also go for that," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sarfaraz said both Pakistan and the West Indies were unpredictable teams.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's good to be unpredictable so all teams are scared of you. Yes, we are unpredictable and we will take that tag, so are the West Indies," said the skipper.</p>.<p class="bodytext">West Indies, who sneaked through last year's qualifying round to feature in this year's event, piled up 421 against New Zealand in a warm-up match on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">With their powerful batting including Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope and Andre Russell, Pakistan will be hard-pressed to contain them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Sarfaraz said taking wickets will be the key.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If you want to contain any team you have to take wickets whoever you play, so it's important to put pressure by taking wickets."</p>
<p class="title">Pace spearhead Mohammad Amir is fit and available for selection for Pakistan's opening World Cup match against the West Indies on Friday, captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was speculation that the 27-year-old, who missed the last four matches of the one-day international series against England earlier this month, might not be able to make his World Cup debut at Trent Bridge.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Amir is fully fit and available for selection for tomorrow's game," Sarfaraz said in his pre-match press conference.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Amir, who missed the 2011 and 2015 World Cups due to a five-year ban for spot-fixing, was seen bowling using his full run-up in the team's practice session.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sarfaraz said he hoped the team could put behind them a streak of 10 straight ODI defeats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Yes, we have lost 10 matches but we have to forget that and start the World Cup journey," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Asked if he was worried about the short boundaries and a flat pitch at Trent Bridge, Sarfaraz said: "When we came here on the first day and asked the groundsman what is the par score he told us that it's 480."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Top-ranked England have scored 400-plus twice at this ground, 444-3 against Pakistan in 2016 and a world record of 481-6 against Australia last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Cricket has changed. People used to think that 300 was a par score but it has changed. We will have different pitches in the World Cup so if a team scores 300-plus then the other team will also go for that," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sarfaraz said both Pakistan and the West Indies were unpredictable teams.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's good to be unpredictable so all teams are scared of you. Yes, we are unpredictable and we will take that tag, so are the West Indies," said the skipper.</p>.<p class="bodytext">West Indies, who sneaked through last year's qualifying round to feature in this year's event, piled up 421 against New Zealand in a warm-up match on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">With their powerful batting including Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope and Andre Russell, Pakistan will be hard-pressed to contain them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Sarfaraz said taking wickets will be the key.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If you want to contain any team you have to take wickets whoever you play, so it's important to put pressure by taking wickets."</p>