Fined 50% of match fees for level 1 breach; BCCI not satisfied, to appeal against verdict
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees after being found guilty of a level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct in an incident which also involved England medium pacer James Anderson during the first Test at Trent Bridge.
The level 2 charge against Jadeja was brought by England team manager Phil Neale in response to India bringing level 3 charges against Anderson. But match referee David Boon, who was investigating the matter, didn’t find Jadeja guilty of the level 2 and brought the charge down to level 1.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has, however, said that it wasn’t satisfied with the verdict and it reserved its right to appeal against the sentence. According to the ICC appeal’s process, decisions on a first level 1 offence are non-appealable. However, this is the second instance in the past year of Jadeja being fined. He was docked 10% of his match fees for using offensive language against Shane Watson in an ODI in November 2013.
Boon clearly stated that he was not “comfortably satisfied” that Jadeja’s role in the incident amounted to a level 2 offence but he was guilty of “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game”.
“Under Article 6.1 of the Code, I had to be comfortably satisfied that the offence had occurred in order to find Jadeja guilty of an offence under Article 2.2.11.
“While I was in no doubt that confrontation did occur, and that such conduct was not in the spirit of the game and should not have taken place, I was not comfortably satisfied that this was a level 2 offence. Therefore, in exercising my discretion under Article 7.6.5 of the Code and having heard all the evidence, I was comfortably satisfied that Jadeja had committed a level 1 offence under Article 2.1.8 of the Code.”
Boon held a hearing in Southampton on Thursday evening, which was attended by both the players, their legal counsels, witnesses as well as BCCI’s MV Sridhar, Phil Neale and Paul Downton of the ECB, and the ICC’s Ethics & Regulatory lawyer.
BCCI backs Jadeja
The BCCI said it was fully behind Jadeja. “The BCCI has taken note of the ICC Match Referee’s decision to find Ravindra Jadeja guilty of a level 1 ‘Breach of Conduct’ for his involvement in an incident on the second day of the Nottingham Test of the ongoing series between India and England,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“The BCCI wishes to make it clear that it is not satisfied with the verdict. The BCCI reserves its right to appeal against the sentence. “The BCCI believes that Mr Ravindra Jadeja was not at fault, and supports him fully,” it added.
The hearing for Anderson, who has been charged with a level 3 offence, will be held via teleconference on August 1. The ICC-appointed Judicial Commissioner Gordon lewis will be required to announce his decision within 48 hours after the detailed hearing August 1.
Though decks have been cleared for Anderson’s participation at Rose Bowl but he might miss the fourth and fifth match starting August 7 if the investigation finds him guilty of pushing and abusing Jadeja as alleged by the Indians.
with inputs from Agencies