Root wins praise for challenging bowler over homophobic insult
ENGLAND CAPTAIN Joe Root has been praised for challenging West Indies bowler Shannon Gabriel after apparently receiving a homophobic insult during the third Test in St Lucia.
Root, a Yorkshire player, appeared to tell Gabriel “Don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
The comments came during an angry exchange between the pair, with the comments apparently picked up on television via the stump microphone.
The nature of Gabriel’s part of the conversation was not audible but it is understood the Trinidadian paceman was warned about his language by at least one of the on-field umpires, Kumar Dharmasena and Rod Tucker.
Kirsty Clarke, director of sport at Stonewall – which campaigns for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality – said: “Language is really influential and it’s great if Joe
Root was willing to challenge potentially abusive comments.”
Former England captain Nasser Hussain, in St Lucia in his role as a television commentator, tweeted his admiration for Root’s stance.
“I don’t know who said what to whom... but boy do I applaud Joe Root’s reaction here,” Hussain said. “For me his 12 words as a role model will be in the end more important than a test hundred or possible victory.”
There was also support from the football world, with Gary Lineker who said it was a “perfect response”,
Mims Davies, the Tory MP and Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said Root did “the absolute right thing to properly call this out”.
Speaking after finishing day three, Root said: “It’s Test cricket, he’s an emotional guy trying to do everything he can to win a Test match... sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret, but they should stay on the field.”
West Indies head coach Richard Pybus said: “Nothing has been reported to me but if a comment was made we’ll review it and if it was untoward we’ll be addressing it.”