James Anderson has revealed that he felt that the spat with Ravindra Jadeja in the recently concluded series against India 'went too far.'
"I felt it went too far the whole process was too much," he told
Anderson was accused, by the Indian team management, of pushing Ravindra Jadeja near the dressing room during the first Test in Trent Bridge. He was subsequently cleared of all charges by an Independent Commissioner appointed by the ICC.
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"It could have been dealt with on the day, it could have been dealt with after the game but unfortunately it turned into a long, drawn out process but thankfully common sense prevailed in the end," said Anderson.
The pacer ended as the Man of the Series but admitted that he was under a lot of stress during that period.
"It was probably one of the most stressful periods that I've been through whilst I've been in the England team.
"It was constantly there whether it was talking to solicitors, whether it was 'we've got meetings here'; whatever it was, it was a constant thing," he said.
Anderson admits that he wanted to get away from all the off-field drama and get on with playing cricket. He was also pleased by the backing he received from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) during that period.
"I just wanted it to go away so I could concentrate on the cricket. But I thought that everyone dealt with it brilliantly. The ECB were great; they backed me all the way and I'm very grateful for that," said the pacer.
Anderson also admitted that he tries to be more aggressive on the field and cited that it helped him become a better bowler.
"Its something Ive always been aware of. I feel like I need to be aggressive on the field because I'm not a big presence on the field, like Chris Tremlett or Stuart Broad; being aggressive has helped me do my job for the team," said the pacer who is on the verge of becoming England's leading wicket-taker in Tests.
While being aggressive is important, Anderson stressed that he made sure he did not cross the mark at any stage.
"I was just having a chat off the field. When we're on the field out in the middle, the umpires are there to oversee that if they think we overstep the mark they step in and take over; if it's serious enough they'll report it to the match referee and it gets dealt with like that.
"But I'm very aware of the boundaries and of overstepping the mark and if I've ever been close the umpires are straight on it; there are stump microphones there. I'm very aware of everything there and I dont overstep the mark," he added.
