Lankan lawyer to sue ICC over referral system

A cricket loving Sri Lankan advocate, Senaka Weeraratne, is considering to sue the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the authorship of the Umpires Decision Referral System (UDRS).

Claiming that the original idea was given by him, he said during the chat with this scribe from Colombo, “It is my contention that the basic elements of this UDRS have been adapted from my ideas which I conceived with a view to resolving a problem in cricket due to umpiring errors. The use of the third umpire in an appellate capacity with powers to entertain direct appeals from a player dissatisfied with the decision of an on field umpire is basically my innovation.”

“It must be noted that the ICC has made use of my concept which I developed and promoted in the cricket world over a period of time beginning in 1997. Being the pioneer developer of this Rule both myself and my country i.e. Sri Lanka, must get the credit for it,” he said.

“It would be a travesty of justice and fair play, if the leading cricket institution in the world i.e. ICC, were to copy my innovation which I had brought to the notice of some of the constituent bodies of the ICC in the early stages, without attributing any credit to me and my country.”

“The ICC should consider associating my name with this Rule in a manner similar to the tagging of the names ‘Duckworth Lewis’ to the Rule which is applied in rain affected one - day cricket matches. Whatever credit, reward etc. has been given to Duckworth and Lewis should also be given to me. The ICC should not engage in double standards. This is my main grouse,” he added.

“I am working out a strategy in consultation with lawyers in Sri Lanka and overseas to respond to the position taken by the ICC in this regard,” he said.

Ever since his school days at Royal College (he played for the school second XI), Weeraratna had an academic interest in the game and has followed it closely. He lived in Australiafor 20 years since 1975 and is a qualified lawyer from the Sri Lanka Law Faculty and the Monash University. He also practiced as a barrister and solicitor in Australia.

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