Geoffrey Boycott calls for stern punishment for James Anderson if found guilty

Anderson faces 2-4 Test match ban if found guilty of charges

Former Yorkshire and England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has called for stern punishment for James Anderson if he is found guilty for alleged pushing and abusing Ravindra Jadeja on the second day of first Investec Test at Trent Bridge.

"If anybody's found guilty, and if I had a say in it, I believe he should be punished and punished harshly, that will stop it," Boycott told ESPNcricinfo. "I think everybody found guilty deserves a stern punishment. I didn't see any pushing and I could have easily missed it. If he's found guilty of that, then there's no excuse.

ICC lawyer tried to intervene

The incident took place on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test match when players were heading back to the dressing room for lunch. The reports suggested a verbal altercation between Jadeja and Anderson which continued till they reached toward the dressing room.

Anderson was charged under Level 3 of the ICC code of conduct when Indian team manager Sunil Dev registered a complaint. Though before charges where laid on Anderson, there was an attempt to resolve the issue with the ICC lawyer flying all the way to England to speak to both the sides.

On failing to find a solution, the matter went through a legal process and on Sunday evening the Indian team had informed the English team that a Level 3 charge was raised against Anderson and a formal notice was issued on Tuesday.

Boycott wants sledging to stop

The player-turned-commentator was disappointed with the fast bowlers preferring to sledge and accepting it as a norm of modern cricket and feels it is hurting the game.

“What is going on in cricket, verbal between players, and particularly bowlers trying to rile batsmen by flagging them off, I don't like it," Boycott said.

"I've never agreed with it, I don't think there's a place for it in cricket. The modern player, in a lot of countries, accepts it as a norm as if they are growing up with it and everybody does it and everybody should do it. They believe it is not hurting cricket. Well, I believe it is. Jimmy (Anderson) is known to be one that talks to players. Now what he actually says I don't know, I'm not near enough to hear it and I certainly can't lip-read. But he is known to do a lot of talking. I don't agree with it,” he added.

The greats never sledged

Boycott pointed out the great West Indian bowlers didn’t indulge in verbal banter, but rather just concentrated on bowling the batsmen out and in that process probably knock them off, which was part and parcel of the game.

“They never got involved - Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson. Thomson used to swear under his breath but he never swore at the batsman, he just swore at himself and made expletives when he got a thick edge and it went between slip and gully for four. He'd be annoyed and irritated but he wouldn't swear at the batsman. Fred Trueman used to swear and make funny remarks and make you laugh."

Anderson had scored a fighting 81 in the match and took four wickets, including that of Jadeja. He would face a ban of at least two Tests if found guilty of the charges laid against him. The hearing is to take place in 14 days and the incident seems to be serious enough to vindicate this allegation.