Not everything is 'fine'

The proverbial adage “cricket is gentleman’s game” seems a bit anachronistic these days. Hardly any series goes by without any bickering or skirmish on or off the field. India vs. England series is no exception. This time the Indian player under spotlight is Ravindra Jadeja. Recently he was charged with Level 2 breach of conduct but was found guilty of Level 1 charge.  He was alleged to have taken steps towards James Anderson in an aggressive and threatening manner while entering pavilion. In spite of inconclusive video evidence he was found guilty and was fined 50% of his match fee which has sparked hot debate especially since James Anderson is himself charged with Level 3 offence. The verdict has been strongly slammed by Indian captain MS Dhoni. According to him Jadeja had bat under his arm the whole time and didn’t utter even a single word even though he was pestered continuously by English players and in fact even when Jadeja was pushed by someone he merely looked back to check what was happening. Going by what Dhoni said it is clear that not only didn’t Jadeja instigate the confrontation, he didn’t pursue it either. But can Dhoni’s word be taken at face value? There isn’t a clear yes or a no to the question which only highlights the subjectiveness of such a situation. In absence of a video footage it is very difficult to arrive at a conclusion where each side has its own story. There will most likely be flipside to the arguments of either side. The important thing to note here is that there can’t be any appeal against Level 1 offense. The fine doesn’t make much of a difference to a player, who earns more than a million dollar in IPL, but it is more about respect and integrity which takes a hit is such a situation. The charge by England seems be an attempt to hit back at India after India charged Anderson with Level 2 breach which could ban him for the next 4 matches. In the absence of conclusive video footage there wasn’t anything which could corroborate what English players were accusing. As they say ‘innocent until proven guilty, Jadeja seemed to be innocent as there wasn’t much evidence to prove otherwise so the judgment seems a bit harsh on him. In a longer series such as this a minor confrontation snowballs into huge crisis as was seen in 2007-2008 India - Australia series. This not only affects the way the series is played but can also have an effect on later matches and relationship as well.
Will this have a lasting impact, only time can tell but the stakes are definitely higher for England because they are the ones who are undergoing a bit of a turmoil. The BCCI might use its clout to overturn the situation but the damage has already been done. It’s about time the actions between the 22 yards take precedence and all the issues off the field are sent back to pavilion.