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The Key Elements of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) or sometimes called the DRS are as follows:

a. a dis-satisfied player shall have the opportunity to appeal against a decision of an on field umpire;

b. such appeal shall be routed through the captain of the relevant team (when the team is fielding) and through a batsman of the relevant team who has been dismissed by an on-field umpire upholding an appeal by the fielding side for his dismissal

c. such appeal shall be made to the third umpire; and

d. the number of appeals per inning against the decisions of an on field umpire shall be restricted.

When regard is had to the Umpire Decision Review System as being currently adopted and used by ICC, it is apparent that the same had been developed by substantially taking from my expression of the idea that the decisions made by an on field umpire shall be subjected to a process of reviewing upon a player referral.

The said expression of my idea was contained in several articles authored by me and published in several newspapers and periodicals having a wide readership including:

• ‘Australian’ – March 25, 1997;

• ‘Times of London’ – May 02, 1997;

• ‘Sunday Age’ Melbourne – April 06, 1997;

• ‘Sunday Times’ (Sri Lanka) – April 06, 1997;

• ‘Dawn’ Pakistan – May 09, 1997;

• ‘The International Cricketer’ (United Kingdom) – May 1997;

• ‘Australian’ – February 20, 1999;

• ‘Northern Territory News’ (Darwin) – March 01, 1999;

• ‘Daily News’ (Sri Lanka) – March 02,1999;

• ‘Sunday Island’ (Sri Lanka) – March 14, 1999;

• ‘Time’ Magazine – June 07, 1999.

I am placing before the court of world public opinion a very significant newspaper cutting taken from one of the world’s leading newspapers i.e. the prestigious Times of London of May 2, 1997 (Sports page 49) that gave wide publicity to my letter to the Sports Editor of the London Times with a headline entitled ‘Limited Appeal for Fielders’ largely due to the novelty, freshness and revolutionary appeal of the proposition.

In 2006 the Cricket Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) adopted this idea and in October 2009 the ICC incorporated the idea into its set of Rules of Cricket under the name ‘ Umpire Decision Review System’ or UDRS as it was subsequently called without any acknowledgement to the contribution made by the true author of the concept.

UDRS is now the most discussed topic in international cricket.

All aspects of the UDRS are explored in public discussion at the highest level of international cricket except one important element – the origin and authorship of the UDRS.

A heavy moral duty lies before the ICC to take steps to ensure that due recognition is given to the true author of the Player – Referral concept which is the lynch pin of the UDRS.

Senaka Weeraratna