The much debated Decision Review System (DRS) is in the news again. A report in Lahore Times states that according to Asanga Seneviratne, the Vice President of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board, the controversial DRS is a brain child of Senaka Weerartna, a Colombo-based lawyer, who first had the idea to allow players to challenge the umpires’ decisions.
The report adds that the lawyer claims had sent his innovative ideas of DRS to the SLC board in 1997 and requested the authorities to take this forward to the International Cricket Council (ICC). The system has been in operation by the ICC in Tests since October 1, 2009. It is being also used in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
The lawyer now wants the system be named after him. “I have gone through these documents and feel we should revisit this issue seriously. I think we should hand this (lawyer’s claim) over to our legal team to study and make a recommendation and if it merits serious consideration to be officially and legally taken up with the ICC,” the Vice President has requested Nishantha Ranatunga, the Secretary of SLC, in his letter.
Asanga Seneviratne has also requested the matter be discussed at the next ExCo on his behalf. “I want the authorship of this system and ICC should acknowledge this,” the lawyer has said.
