In a fresh twist to the alleged altercation between Ravindra Jadeja and James Anderson, two England players have testified that the Indian all-rounder had turned towards the English bowler with a raised bat during the showdown.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Ben Stokes and Matt Prior, during the hearing against Jadeja, testified that the Indian raised his bat at Anderson during the altercation for which he was fined 50 per cent of his match fee.
“...At the hearing England witnesses, Ben Stokes and Matt Prior, suggested to match referee David Boon that Jadeja had turned threateningly towards James Anderson, and the England fast bowler had acted in self defence,” the website reported.
“Prior contended Jadeja’s bat was raised dangerously when he turned towards Anderson, and Stokes suggested Jadeja had pushed Anderson first. India claim Jadeja neither touched nor swore at anyone,” the report stated quoting sources.
Don’t undermine judicial process: ICC to msd, cook
The International Cricket Council (ICC)on Sunday took strong exception to the critical comments made by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his England counterpart Alastair Cook on the James Anderson-Ravindra Jadeja altercation and urged both the captains to respect the judicial process.
In a media release issued by ICC, its Chief Executive David Richardson said: “England captain Alastair Cook and, more recently, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni have made public comments relating to the alleged incident that took place during the first Test at Trent Bridge, the latter of which is critical of and undermines the ICC disciplinary process.
“The ICC would also like to reiterate its full support of the process followed and respect for the decision made by David Boon. ICC Code of Conduct hearings of this nature are, generally speaking, difficult processes to work through, with detailed legal submissions, witness statements and oral witness testimony,” Richardson said.