Farokh Engineer, former Indian wicket-keeper who played nine seasons for lancashire (in which county Manchester is located), blamed the Internationl Cricket Council (ICC) and its match referee David Boon for the lingering Jadeja-Anderson controversy.
Engineer, who still lives in this area, said, “I blame David Boon and the ICC” for allowing the Jadeja-Anderson spat to fester. The controversy pertains to the touring Indian cricket squad charging England fast bowler James Anderson with pushing Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in breach of the ICC’s code of conduct and a judicial commissioner appointed by the world body thereafter finding him not guilty.
On Anderson, Engineer told the Guardian newspaper: “He’s a great bowler, a great lad and of course a fellow lancastrian.” He, however, added: “I must stress that I don’t know what happened at Trent Bridge (scene of the alleged clash between Anderson and Jadeja).”
He went on to say: “M.S. Dhoni says he saw Jimmy (Anderson) push Jadeja and if that’s the case, Jimmy’s been naughty. It’s ridiculous that it has been dragged on for so long.”
“If I’d been the match referee — and I used to be one — I’d have had Jimmy and Jadeja sort it out between them and, if Jimmy was at fault, I’d have asked him to apologise. It should have been sorted out in five minutes.”
The fact is the ECB was prepared to discuss an apology from Anderson with Indian team manager Sunil Dev on the first morning of the second Test to close the matter. But Dhoni had other ideas.