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The DRS- A Sri Lankan idea adopted by the ICC
Published on Thursday, 11 August 2011 16:26
by Sheraj Obeysekera
Not many people are aware that the much talked about Decision Review System (DRS) was an idea developed by Sri Lankan Senaka Weeraratna. Weeraratna a Sri lankan lawyer, is said to have developed the idea of gaining the assistance of the third umpire with the use of technology in an event where one team or party appeals due to dissatisfaction of the decision made by the on field umpire.
It is stated that he developed and expressed his idea as early as in 1997 and presented it to both local and foreign printed media such as the Sunday Times, The Times of London, and The Australian.
The International cricket council (ICC) implemented the DRS system for the first time in the year 2009 but have not recognized or given any form of credit to Mr. Weeraratna for proposing it. The ICC claims that the DRS that is currently in use is not directly based on Mr. Weeraratna’s idea and the fact that he presented the idea around the world with no non disclosure agreement would mean that they have not breached any intellectual property law.
Mr. Weeraratna on the other hand claims that substantial elements of the DRS in use today have been taken from his proposal and that therefore he has the right to claim recondition and credit for the system being used by the ICC today.
The ICC has claimed that the current review system in place today was an idea that was developed by a group of ICC committee members. In a letter addressed to Mr. Weeraratna the ICC said “With respect, they were not, and are not, even aware of who you are.”
According to a reliable source close to Mr. Weeraratna ThePapare was told that he has no intentions of gaining monetary advantage through the case, his request is for the ICC to recognize the fact that his idea was used for the DRS. It is his point of view that the ICC constitutes a violation of moral copyright by failing to attribute the authorship of the Umpire Decision Review System .
If Mr. Weeraratna is successful the DRS system that is used currently could be recognized in the similar manner to which the Duckworth–Lewis method (D/L method,) which is named after its founders.