Anderson and Jadeja found not guilty by ICC

LONDON, (Reuters) – England fast bowler James Anderson and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have been found not guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct and are free to play in next week’s fourth test.

The ICC made the announcement after a six-hour video-conference hearing on Friday into an alleged incident during the first test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

“Witnesses, including some Indian and English players, provided evidence and were cross-examined by the respective legal counsels,” world cricket’s governing body said in a statement.

The ICC added the hearings were also attended by the two team managers, representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the governing body’s ethics and regulatory lawyer.

Anderson and Jadeja were involved in a verbal altercation at Trent Bridge and media reports suggested the dispute continued when they left the field.

Jadeja was initially fined 50 percent of his match fee but that punishment was dropped.

Lancashire paceman Anderson, the leading wicket-taker in the series with 16 victims, is now free to play in his home test at Old Trafford, Manchester that starts on Thursday.

The five-match series is level at 1-1.