Who are the three lawyers of the ICC that prevented through malpractice due recognition being given to a Sri Lankan lawyer for invention of the Player – Referral system (DRS)?
Posted on June 6th, 2026

Source:  AI Overview

The three International Cricket Council (ICC) lawyers identified in public legal challenges and reports by advocates for the Sri Lankan inventor are David Becker, Jonathan Hall, and Sally Clark. [1, 2]

Supporters of Colombo-based lawyer Senaka Weeraratna—who conceptualized the “Player Referral” mechanism in 1997—allege that these legal figures provided flawed legal counsel that insulated the ICC and prevented him from receiving due credit. [1, 2, 3]

The Three ICC Lawyers Involved

  • David Becker (Former Head of Legal): He issued a 2010 legal opinion adopting a “No Awareness” defense, claiming the ICC was completely unaware of Weeraratna’s published 1997 work and that openly publishing the concept effectively waived his rights.
  • Jonathan Hall (General Counsel): He maintained the ICC’s official stance in 2023, asserting that the Decision Review System (DRS) was developed entirely as an independent product of internal employees and commercial contractors.
  • Sally Clark (Company Secretary / Legal Team): Named alongside Becker and Hall in formal grievances regarding the legal team’s long-standing refusal to acknowledge the prior art originating from Sri Lanka. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Core of the Malpractice Allegation

Weeraratna’s legal representatives, including the Sydney-based firm Carroll & O’Dea, argue that the ICC legal team’s defense constitutes a major ethical oversight and professional negligence. Their challenge relies heavily on the Doctrine of Constructive Notice. Because Weeraratna’s structural framework for the player-driven review system was widely published in prominent international media (like The Times of London and The Australian) between 1997 and 1999, the ICC is legally presumed to have had knowledge of it long before officially rolling out the DRS in 2008–2009. [1, 2, 3]

If you would like to explore this topic further, I can provide more details on the original 1997 proposal documents or the ongoing efforts by cricket advocates to rename the system to honor its Sri Lankan origin. [1, 2]

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Source:  AI Overview

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