Joe Root stands by his exchange of words with Shannon Gabriel
Joe Root insisted he stood by what he said to Shannon Gabriel and felt obliged to uphold his responsibilities after the West Indies fast bowler was charged for using abusive language under the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct.
Gabriel will discover on Wednesday whether he faces a sanction for his part in an on-field exchange with Root on day three of the third Test in St Lucia, one which ended with the England captain telling the 30-year-old: “Don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
The footage of the incident that circulated on social media did not reveal what Gabriel said initially to elicit the rebuke. But he has been charged by the on-field umpires, Kumar Dharmasena and Rod Tucker, under article 2.13 of the code of conduct that covers “language of a personal, insulting, obscene and/or offensive nature”.
The matter was referred to a hearing by the match referee, Jeff Crowe, and if found guilty, Gabriel faces a possible ban of up to two Tests or four one-day internationals owing to having three demerit points on his disciplinary record already.
Root, who attracted widespread praise for his response in the middle, has not shared details of the incident. But speaking after England completed a consolation 232-run win at the end of a 2-1 series defeat to West Indies, he hoped it would not take the gloss off what has been an otherwise amicable encounter.
Root said: “The ICC have got to handle things and I am not in a position to comment but throughout the series it has been played in the right manner by the two sides. West Indies have played some fantastic cricket, they are a good bunch of guys and it would be a shame if it tarnishes it. [But] as a player you feel you have responsibilities to uphold on the field and I stand by what I did. I just did what I thought was right. It felt appropriate to act how I did.”
Root, who shook hands with Gabriel at the end of the Test, was understandably keener to discuss the win that had just unfolded. His 16th Test century helped England set their hosts 485 to win but, ultimately, the game was shaped by an electric return from Mark Wood via match figures of six for 93.
It was not just Wood’s maiden Test five-wicket haul on the second day that caught the eye but also speeds of up to 94.6mph during what was his first outing in the whites of England for nine months. Root tried to talk down thoughts of unleashing the Durham man on Australia this summer but eventually relented.
Root said: “If he’s firing fit, then I’m sure it’ll make some great TV and it would be great for him to be part of [the Ashes]. I don’t think I’ve been as far back at first slip as that before. I’m still nursing a hole in my hand from that first one I managed to cling on to.
“It’s a great story,” he added, referring to Wood’s battles with injury. “To go away, work how he has with the Lions before Christmas, find really good form and produce what he has done this week, he should be really proud of that.
“We might have be smart about how we use him. It is a learning curve for me, I am by no means the finished article as captain.”
Wood, grinning from ear to ear and refusing to let go of the oversized holiday voucher he received for his player of the match award, thanked both Kevin Shine, the fast bowling lead at Loughborough, and Chris Silverwood, England’s fast bowling coach, for helping him switch to a longer, smoother run-up on display here.
The 29-year-old, who was playing just his 13th Test out of a possible 55 since his debut in 2015, said: “I didn’t think I’d get a day like I did the other day. In my heart of hearts I knew I could do it but when the stats show you haven’t previously, it makes you doubt yourself.
“But I didn’t care how it went here – even if I hadn’t taken wickets, I came into the match raring to go and determined to play with a smile on my face. Jack Leach told me it’s another day in the park with your mates and that’s how I tried to treat it.”