Frank Duckworth the co-inventor of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, passed away at the age of 84 in England.
Frank Duckworth, was an English statistician, who developed Duckworth-Lewis along with Tony Lewis in 1997 to determine the result of a truncated cricket match. The Duckworth-Lewis method was first implemented during the Zimbabwe vs. England match in Harare on January 1, 1997. In 2001, ICC adopted this method to decide the revised targets in rain-curtailed games.
Duckworth was a consultant statistician with the ICC until 2014. Following the retirement of Duckworth, an Australian statistician Steven Stern introduced modifications to the system, leading to its current version, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. This implementation enhanced the accuracy and applicability of DLS method, essentially building upon the foundation laid by Duckworth and Lewis while ensuring the system remained fair and effective in a wider range of rain-affected match scenarios. 
The DLS method replaced the much-criticised rain rule previously used, which spoiled the 1992 ODI World Cup semifinal between South Africa and England in Sydney. In that match, the rain stopped the play with South Africa needing 22 runs off 13 balls. On resumption, the rain-rule over, which was based on most productive overs, showed the revised target of an impossible 22 runs off 1 balls. South Africa lost the match in the semifinal and the rain-rule was heavily criticised for its inaccuracy, highlighting the urgent need of more accurate method in cricket.
In June 2010, both Duckworth and Lewis were awarded the member of of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for their contributions to cricket and mathematics.
ICC General Manager Wasim Khan expressed sadness at the passing of Frank Duckworth, saying, “Frank was a top statistician who was respected by peers as well as the wider cricket fraternity. The DLS method that he co-created has stood the test of time, and we have continued to use it in international cricket more than two decades after its inception.
Frank’s contribution to the game has been immense, and the world of cricket is poorer with his death. We send our condolences to his family and friends,” in a release.
