Senaka Weeraratna 

The Cricket loving public and the taxpayers of Sri Lanka have every right to ask the Govt. and the Minister of Sports whether they have demanded from the International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Geoff Allardice on his recent visit to Sri Lanka, adequate compensation for the use of a Sri Lankan invention, the Decision Review System (DRS) now widely acknowledged in Wikipedia and Google, as the Brainchild of a Sri Lankan lawyer (Senaka Weeraratna) in ICC administered International cricket ( in all three formats of the game i.e., Test cricket, One Day International, and T20).

The ICC has been using DRS since 2009 and profiting. Making large sums of money and obtaining a financial advantage out of somebody else’s invention. Not only that the ICC is getting away with it without any accountability or recompense to the true owner. DRS has improved the quality and integrity of the game of Cricket. 

Tony Greig, just before he died in 2012, made a profound Statement by saying  “How can we help Sri Lanka to get ICC recognition for DRS when its own Govt. and its own Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Board are not interested in this matter”. In other words, not interested in serving or supporting Sri Lanka in this matter of DRS. Compare the conduct of India vis a vis their inventors and heroes. The Indians go to Town with their inventors. 

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Is Eershiyawa” (Jealousy) blocking Senaka Weeraratna and Sri Lanka from gaining credit for the invention of DRS?

Shenali Waduge

Is “Eershiyawa” (Jealousy) blocking Senaka Weeraratna and Sri Lanka from gaining credit for the invention of DRS?

The ICC is not claiming ownership of DRS nor can disclose any name from its stables as the true author of this invention. Yet ICC is using DRS happily as if it owns and has copyright over DRS. ICC knows very well that the moment the DRS ownership is attributed and acknowledged as belonging to another the liability to pay Royalties for use of someone else’s intellectual property arises. ICC is using bullying tactics and at times perks and thereby trying to save money by denying large sums of money that ought to end up in Sri Lanka, a near-bankrupt and poverty-stricken country now going through an unprecedented economic crisis.

The Government of a sovereign nation must work in the best interests of that nation and take pride in the inventions and discoveries of the country’s people. The undeniable function of the SLC is likewise not to act to save money for ICC and make ICC happy. Rather to make Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans happy. SLC is a Sri Lankan institution and not an attendant or playmate of the ICC. Its failure to deliver especially in the last One Day Cricket World Cup Tournament has demoralized the entire country.

Today the people of Sri Lanka are subject to heavy tax burdens and many are starving and struggling not knowing where their next meal is going to come from.

In such a context, Sri Lanka has a right to demand money, large sums of money, from the ICC, for its use of DRS since 2009 without the consent of the true owner. At a time of a critical situation, the Govt must recover money from the ICC that is due to Sri Lanka and not try to save money for the ICC. This is unfortunately what has been happening in the recent past.  Subservience to ICC is tantamount to derogation of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and the country’s self-respect and good standing. 

We must remind ourselves that we are made of sterner stuff.

Senaka Weeraratna