He formed and headed the Directorate of Special Operations, (nicknamed the Scorpions) responsible for investigating serious offences, including organised crime and drug trafficking.

He advocated the quota system, to increase the representation of non-white players in the South African cricket team.

[2] A controversial figure, particularly over his support for racial quotas in South African national teams, Sonn is felt by many to have been the wrong choice for leadership of the ICC, especially after he was forced to issue a public apology following allegations that he was drunk and disorderly at a 2003 Cricket World Cup game between India and the Netherlands.

According to a report in the South African newspaper Beeld, racing driver Sarel van der Merwe witnessed how Sonn "literally fell out of his pants" and staggered about among the private suites at Boland Park, where the match was being played.

The newspaper quoted van der Merwe as saying: "One could see that the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, who was there as his guest, was most embarrassed.