A heated exchange broke out between West Indian Shannon Gabriel and the England captain. What Shannon Gabriel said was unclear, but Joe Root's response was caught loud and clear on the stump mic, where he said, "there is nothing wrong with being gay"
Joe Root celebrates with his team-mates
England Test captain Joe Root has been hailed by cricket experts and critics alike, for his response to alleged homophobic comments directed towards him by West Indies pace Shannon Gabriel.
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During the third Test between West Indies and England, while Joe Root was going great guns at the crease, a heated exchange broke out between West Indies bowler Shannon Gabriel and the England captain. What Shannon Gabriel said was unclear, but Joe Root's response was caught loud and clear on the stump mic, where he said, "there is nothing wrong with being gay”.
Joe Root, however, during the post-match conference, after the controversy with West Indian pacer came to light, revealed that Shannon Gabriel might have said somethings that were uncalled for. Nonetheless, Joe Root didn't report the incident to officials and suggested such exchanges should stay on the field. "Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret, but they should stay on the field," Joe Root said, as reported by The Gaurdian.
Former cricketers and politicians in the UK hailed the England Test captain, for diffusing the situation. UK sports minister Mims Davies tweeted about Joe Root's leadership:
YES ðÂu00c2u009fÂu00c2u0099Âu00c2u008c @root66 What a Leader, Ambassador and HUGE RESPECT for doing the absolute right thing to properly call this out! He is completely right as there simply is NO place in any sport, at any level for discrimination, intolerance and prejudice ðÂu00c2u009fÂu00c2u008cÂu00c2u0088 https://t.co/s9R6XIVYww
— MimsDaviesMP (@mimsdavies) February 12, 2019
Her sentiments were shared by the former England hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh, who is gay. “This is what being an LGBTQ ally looks like. Thank you Joe Root. This calm and firm response will make a difference in ways we may never see and never know,” she tweeted.
This is what being an #LGBTQ ally looks like. Thank you Joe Root. This calm and firm response will make a difference in ways we may never see and never know. ðÂu00c2u009fÂu00c2u0091Âu00c2u008fðÂu00c2u009fÂu00c2u008f¼ https://t.co/orDxTCfGif
— Kate Richardson-Walsh OLY (@katewalsh11) February 12, 2019
Joe Root scored a valiant 122 in England win in the third and final Test of the West Indies tour. England however, lost the series 2-1.
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