KARACHI, Dec 5: Pakistan Customs will be playing their opening game against PTCL for Patrons Cup and Patrons Cricket Trophy at Quaid-e-Azam Cricket Park under protest, former Pakistan Test paceman Jalaluddin said on Friday.

Jalal, who is chief organizer of Customs cricket team said they would wear arm-band as a sign of protest as they would be playing against a non-first class team.

He said they would inform the match referee Naeem Ahmed before the commencement

of their match against PTCL that they were playing under protest.

He said the PTCL had failed to qualify for the Patrons Trophy first class event but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reversed its decision and allowed them to enter the event.

He said as per PCB’s decision and laid down rules, eight teams from the inter-departmental qualifying rounds were to play for Patrons Trophy first class event but later the board reversed its decision and allowed four to take part in the first rounds.

He said they would send their official protest to PCB chairman over what they said induction of PTCL and other teams in the first class event through the back-door.

Jalal, a qualified England Cricket Board coach said they would request for a separate tournament between the teams which failed to qualify for the Patrons Trophy first class rounds.

Pakistan Customs have included four new faces in their 20-member squad named Friday.

Newcomers are opener Khurram Siddique brother of Kashif Siddique, off-spinners Atif Maqbool and Muhammad Qasim and paceman Uqab Khan. The rest of the team consists Kashif Siddique, Rawait Khan, Aamer Bashir (capt), Naseem Khan, Bilal Khilji, Kamran Hussain, Hanif Malik, Shahbaz Butt (wicket-keepers), Fawad Alam, Nisar Abbas, Fahad Iqbal, Junaid Zia, Stephen John, Imran Ali, Ozair-ul-Haq, Nadeem Iqbal.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Customs in a bid to run their team on a professional lines has hired the services of former Pakistan captain and national team coach Mushtaq Muhammad as their batting coach.

Jalal himself will be the pace bowling coach, Haris Ahmed Khan spin bowling coach, Mohtashim Rasheed fielding coach and analyst while Waqar Hussain and Iqbal Waris will be manager and assistant manager of the team respectively.

“We are looking to run our team on thorough professional lines to achieve better results,” Jalal said.

“Without launching complete professionalism nothing can be achieved,” he added.—PPI