England skipper Joe Root has become an instant hero on social media after his response to the sledging from Windies pacer Shannon Gabriel went viral.
According to the British media reports, Root called out the right-arm fast bowler after a ‘homophobic’ taunt on the pitch. The Englishman was caught up by the stump mic saying: “Don’t use that as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
— Alan Conduct 🇺🇦 (@misterc88) February 11, 2019
The incident occurred in the afternoon session on Day 3 of the third and final Test at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Monday.
“Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret, but they should stay on the field,” Root said at the close of play.
“Its Test cricket and he’s an emotional guy trying to do everything he can to win a Test match. He’s a good guy who plays hard cricket and is proud to be in the position he is. The battle was a good contest, he’s had a wonderful series and he should be proud,” he added.
Gabriel, meanwhile, was warned by the on-field umpires for the language he used following an incident with England captain.
Note: Sledging is a term used in cricket to describe how some players seek to gain an advantage by insulting or verbally intimidating an opposing player to try to affect their concentration.
