“If you have the technology to detect an error, then the same technology must be used to correct it”
Posted on March 10th, 2026
Senaka Weeraratna
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This powerful quote by Sri Lankan lawyer Senaka Weeraratna
is the foundational logic behind the Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket.
Senaka Weeraratna
Inventor of DRS
Context of the Quote
Weeraratna first proposed this “Player Referral” concept in a letter to the Australian newspaper on March 25, 1997. His argument was rooted in the idea of natural justice: if television viewers and broadcasters could see a clear umpiring error through slow-motion replays, it was “morally unsustainable” to allow that error to stand when the technology to fix it was readily available.
Key Principles
In his original vision, Weeraratna outlined the core elements that now define modern DRS:
- Player Empowerment: The right to challenge an on-field decision should belong to the players (the “Player Referral” system).
- Appellate Role: The Third Umpire should act like an appellate court judge, using evidence-based technology to review the initial “trial” decision.
- Strategic Limits: To prevent the game from dragging, he suggested a limited number of unsuccessful appeals per innings.
Legacy and Recognition
Although the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially introduced the DRS in 2009, Weeraratna is still fighting for formal recognition as its inventor. His concept has since transcended cricket, influencing similar review systems in tennis (Hawk-Eye), soccer (VAR), and rugby, and several other sports.
Impact on Accuracy: The system has been credited by the International Cricket Council (ICC) with increasing the accuracy of on-field decisions by approximately 7% (from 91% to 98%).
Proposed Expansion to Wide Ball Reviews
While the initial DRS focused on dismissals like LBWs and catches, Weeraratna’s core philosophy—“If you have the technology to detect an error, then the same technology must be used to correct it”—has recently been used to justify the inclusion of Wide Ball and No Ball reviews.
- Logical Extension: Advocates for Weeraratna’s “Player Referral” concept argue that any objective on-field error that can be definitively proven by technology should be reviewable to ensure “cricket justice”.
- Current Adoption: Following this principle, several major cricket leagues (such as the IPL and WPL) and international formats have integrated reviews for wides and waist-high no-balls into the existing referral framework.
Key Elements of Weeraratna’s Invention
Weeraratna’s 1997 proposal, first published in The Australian newspaper ( March 25, 1997), introduced the four pillars that define the current DRS:
- Right of Appeal: Empowering players to directly challenge on-field decisions.
- Appellate Authority: Elevating the third umpire to an “Appeal Court judge” role with the power to overturn field decisions.
- Restricted Referrals: Limiting the number of appeals per innings to prevent time-wasting and strategic abuse.
- Technological Correction: Utilizing slow-motion replays and tracking to replace subjective human judgment with evidence-based decisions.
Despite the global adoption of his ‘Player Referral’ concept, Weeraratna has yet to receive formal recognition from the ICC, and even the Sri Lanka Cricket (SlC) Board of his own country, which institutions together are using the Intellectual Property of Senaka Weeraratna without the basic common decency of acknowledgement in the Spirit of Cricket.
SLC is today in hot water with the total failure of Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T 20 world cup tournament.
SLC has now become the laughing stock of the country with allegations of corruption with no light at the end of the tunnel in terms of investigations of corruption and swift remedial action by the State.
The days of glory of Sri Lankan Cricket are gone. A once great team that was world champions twice is now in the doldrums. Yet one crowning glory remains beyond the boundary, the DRS.
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Prominent figures and commentators have offered significant praise for this contribution:
Notable Compliments and Recognition
(Indian Writer/Politician): Has described the system as one of “cricket’s best innovations” and “indispensable,” noting that it eliminates errors and adds a welcome “extra element of tension to the plot”.
Varsha Thakur (Indian Journalist) refers to Senaka Weeraratna as the “Dharmaraja of Cricket” and the “Father of DRS” for his role in bringing a sense of justice and fairness to the game.
Roshan Abeysinghe and Jon Kent : During international broadcasts, they have advocated for naming the system after its Sri Lankan inventor (potentially WDRS for Weeraratna Decision Review System), similar to how the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is named after its creators.
(Late Commentator): Congratulated the Sri Lankan team on their early and effective adoption of the system during its initial 2008 trial, noting they were “obviously doing the right thing” in utilizing the technology.
The lack of recognition for this global scale invention by a Sri Lankan, even within Sri Lanka ( by the Government of Sri Lanka, SLC, Sri Lankan cricket commentators, Media and even by professional organizations ) by a Sri Lankan boils down to one major reason ‘ Eershiyava’ ‘ (Jealousy) which the reputed political analyst Shenali Waduge has explored in depth in a devastating “no-holds-barred” article.
Eershiyava’ ‘ (Jealousy) is the bane of Sri Lanka. It is a pathological condition that has afflicted almost the entire nation and the people. No progress is possible unless and until this evil mindset is vanquished. Education at all levels of schooling should be directed towards this end. Look at India. The Indian Inventor of the Email V.A. Shiva Aiyyadurai, an Indian Hindu was honored recently by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite the entire racist Western press ignoring it.
Not a single President of Sri Lanka has hailed the DRS as a major innovation that has won Sri Lanka immense credit on a global scale. Their deafening silence on DRS is shameful and morally indefensible. If you cannot back your own country’s innovators, your moral authority to lead and inspire your countrymen stands diminished.
Support Shenali Waduge’s call for Sri Lanka and the rest of South Asia to demand from ICC due recognition for
a Sri Lankan concept and idea ( ‘Player Referral’ that evolved into DRS) that has transformed and game changed Cricket forever.
Why South Asia must now spearhead Global Recognition for Senaka Weeraratna’s Authorship of DRS
Shenali D. Waduge
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Source: AI Overview