Loud Thinking

Posts Tagged ‘chairman’

Game changer
Memories of Imran Khan’s bowling show in Sydney that revolutionised Pakistan cricket

By Ijaz Chaudhry

PTI chairman Imran Khan’s address at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on October 30 is perceived by many as the harbinger of a revolution in the country. About 35 years ago, Imran’s show of an entirely different nature on an entirely different turf brought a great revolution in Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan won their first-ever Test in Australia in Sydney in 1976-77. With this victory, Pakistan managed to draw the three Test series 1-1. The main architect of Pakistan’s victory was their fast bowler, Imran Khan who took 12 wickets in the match.

But there is something more to Imran’s heroic bowling performance in that game.

Until then, the general impression was that Pakistan could not produce a genuine fast bowler. Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers were fast-medium or medium fast. Fazal Mahmood did produce match-winning performances in 1950s but apart from his 12 wickets against England in 1954 the rest were achieved on matting wickets. Then he was never a genuine fast bowler, medium-fast and occasionally fast-medium. His 12 wickets against England were taken in a very low scoring game in which the highest team total in the four innings was 164. All the main bowlers of England also had their moments at least in one innings so did the other Pakistani paceman — Mahmood Hussain.

On the other hand, Imran in 1976 overshadowed all the other bowlers including Australia’s legendary Dennis Lillee, who had taken ten wickets in the previous Test where Aussies pulverised Pakistan.

This Test victory helped Pakistan draw the series thus becoming the first country other than England and South Africa to draw a Test series in Australia.

Australia was the supreme Test nation at that time. They had demolished a formidable West Indian side 5-1 during the previous season. And the West Indian side included Andy Roberts and Michael Holding two of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of the game.

Apart from Fazal Mahmood, some other fast mediums like Khan Mohammad and Sarfraz Nawaz, a contemporary of Imran Khan, had served Pakistan well but neither of them was a genuine fast bowler nor had won a Test match single-handedly the way Imran did.

Imranís performance in Sydney in 1976-77 dispelled the impression that players from the sub-continent cannot be genuine fast bowlers. until then Pakistan had mostly flopped on foreign tours. Their only Test series victory away from home was a 1-0 victory in New Zealand in 1972-3. At home, they prepared slow wickets resulting in an astonishing number of drawn matches.

Imran’s Sydney show had a multi-dimensional effect on Pakistan cricket which has lasted till today. More and more youngsters started taking fast bowling seriously. The cautious approach of the administration also changed. They started preparing livelier pitches at home.

Two seasons later, Imran was the third fastest in a competition in Australia testing a number of well-known fast bowlers of the time for speed.

Within a few years, came Wasim Akram, arguably the most talented fast bowler in the history of the game. Then Pakistan started producing genuine and world-class fast bowlers most regularly including the phenomenal Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, who served Pakistan cricket for a considerable time.

A few others such as Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Akram, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir dazzled for brief periods for different reasons. Imran’s performance was the spark that lit the generations of Pakistani quicks. Pakistan started winning abroad and victories at home also started coming via pacemen.

It all changed after that Sydney Test of January 1977 which made millions of people all over Pakistan wake up early in small hours of cold mornings to listen to radio commentary.

ijaz62@hotmail.com

How to involve public in increasing tax collection.

Without going into big preamble, I would jot down my suggestions for evolving a national culture of tax payment.

It is most difficult part in any culture to motivate its people to pay tax voluntarily. However, when tax burden, its collection and utilization is made equitable and transparent, majority of people, if not all, would pay their taxes on time and in full.

Although my suggestions would not cover all aspects, yet, when implemented these would definitely prove a major step forward towards establishing a society which pay its tax and feel proud of their contribution.
 
1.       Recognize tax payers and their contribution by:
 
a)      All those who pay personal income tax > Rs. 2.5 million in any one year should be on the list of invitees at President’s  receptions. While all those who pay personal income tax > 1.0 million in any one year should be on the list of invitees at Governor’s receptions.
 
b)      All those who pay personal income tax above Rs. 1.0 million in a year should be honored by nation by allowing them to fly national flag on their motor vehicles and at their residences.
 
c)       Honorary magistrates should be appointed from the list of those who have paid personal income tax above Rs. 0.5 million.
 
d)      Contribution of all personal income tax payers should be recognized by giving them national awards on 23rd March. Suggestions for honor list are:

Personal income tax payment > 5.0 million for 3 years consecutive – Nishan-e Kidmat
Personal income tax payment > 2.5 million for 3 years consecutive – Hilal-e- Kidmat   
Personal income tax payment > 1.0 million for 3 years consecutive – Sitara-e-Kidmat
Personal income tax payment > 0.5 million for 3 years consecutive – Tamgha-e- Kidmat
 
e)      All those citizens paying personal income tax > 1.0 million in any one year should be allowed one free arms license up to a maximum of three licenses.
 
f)       All registered income tax payers should be allowed free registration at NADRA for NIC renewal/reissue.
 
g)      Driving License fee of all registered personal income tax payers should be abolished.
 
h)      All income tax payers should be allowed 25% rebate in car/motorcycle registration at the time of purchase, and 50% rebate for annual registration after they have paid income tax for three consecutive years.
 
i)        All those who have paid personal income tax above Rs. 100,000 should be allowed free of cost new passport or renewal.
 
j)        When appointing members of board of governors of banks/corporate bodies/Government institutions/University Syndicates, these should be selected from the list of citizens who pay personal annual income tax above Rs. 1.0 million.
 
k)      All those Pakistanis sending remittances from abroad should also be recognized for their contributions. Some suggestions are:
 
1)      All those who remit more than $10,000, should be allowed to recommend one of their family member in Pakistan for one free arm license.

2)      All those who remit more than $25,000 should be allowed free passport renewal.

3)      All those who remit $10,000 or more, should be given 2.5% bonus (or Rs.2.50 per dollar) as incentive to use official channels. This incentive should be paid as certificates of investment, cashable after five years. These certificates should carry 10% annual profit and be tradable on stock exchanges.

4)       All those who have remitted $1.0 million or more in a year, should be allowed to hoist national flag on their homes in Pakistan.
 
l)        Peace and Harmony committees should be formulated at police station level. Only income tax payers should be included as private members in these committees.
 
m)    It should be made mandatory for all public office holders and all government employees to get personal income tax registration, even if their total income is less than minimum level. 
 
n)      It should be mandatory for all business accounts to provide national tax number. No bank should be allowed to operate any business account without NTN. All new firms, should be required to provide NTN within 90 days, otherwise their account should be frozen automatically.
 
o)      All bank accounts where credit or debit balance exceeds Rs. 500,000 should automatically (same day) be reported to Income Tax department, unless banks already have NTN in their possession. This includes all type of investments, as well. In case of default, banks/investment institutes  should be heavily penalized.
 
p)      No property (plot/shop/flat/house/farm/agri land etc) should be registered without NTN of buyer.
 
q)      No motor vehicle should be registered without NTN of buyer.
 
r)       Retired persons with no income, continue to file their income tax returns for three years. This should be abolished. Need to file return after retirement should be finished. However, their NTN should be kept alive/valid throughout their life like NIC.
 
2.       Tax collection system should be reformed. Apart from detailed overhauling of FBR, following changes should be announced immediately:

a)      Chairman FBR should be an eminent person without any political affiliation and with experience of business management. He should be selected from private corporate sector. Appointment of Chairman should be for one term three years.

b)      FBR should be given constitutional autonomy in operational matters.

c)       An FBR Supervisory Board should be constituted whose remit should be to quarterly review FBR’s working and submission of quarterly reports to government of its findings and recommendations. This report should simultaneously be published on internet. This board should consist of Finance Secretaries of Pakistan and all provinces, Auditor General of Pakistan, two prominent chartered accountants (non-political) from private sector, Leaders of Opposition in Senate and National Assembly, Chairman Public Accounts Committee.