Jadeja fined for Anderson incident

Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 50% of his match fees after being found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct following an incident with England fast bowler James Anderson during the first Investec Test at Trent Bridge.

The BCCI has, however, said it was not satisfied with the verdict and said it reserved its right to appeal against it. According to the ICC appeal's process, though, penalties on a Level 1 offence are non-appealable, unless it is a second such penalty levied on the player within a 12-month period. Jadeja was docked 10% of his match fees for using offensive language against Shane Watson in an ODI in November 2013, but that was under section 2.1.4 of the code, while this is a level 2.1.8 offence, meaning this instance does not qualify for appeal.*

Jadeja had been charged with a Level 2 offence, brought by England team manager Phil Neale in response to India charging Anderson with a Level 3 offence. Anderson's hearing will be held via videoconference on August 1, a day after the scheduled end of the third Test.

David Boon, the match referee, stated he was "not comfortably satisfied" that Jadeja's role in the incident amounted to a Level 2 offence. Boon, however, stated Jadeja 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 Mr Jadeja guilty of an offence under Article 2.2.11," Boon said in an ICC release.

"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 Mr Jadeja had committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.1.8 of the Code."

Jadeja's hearing was held in Southampton on Thursday and was attended by both the players, their legal counsels, witnesses as well as Neale, BCCI's MV Sridhar, Paul Downton of the ECB, and ICC's Ethics and Regulatory lawyer.

The incident involving Anderson and Jadeja is reported to have taken place as the players were leaving the field for lunch on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test. India alleged Anderson abused and pushed Jadeja, while England alleged Jadeja turned and approached Anderson in a threatening manner.

Anderson was charged under a Level 3 offence and, if found guilty, faces a ban for between two and four Tests, or four and eight ODIs, whichever games are first. Two suspension points equate to a ban of one Test, or two ODIs. Jadeja was charged with a Level 2 offence.