Shannon Gabriel believes that his controversial comments to Joe Root during the St Lucia Test in February 2019, were “blown way out of proportion” and says he will not hold back in the coming series, if given the opportunity to play.
Gabriel was handed a four-match ban, and issued an “unreserved apology”, after the stump microphone at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium overheard Root rebuking him with the words “there’s nothing wrong with being gay” following a mid-pitch altercation. Gabriel later claimed that he had asked Root “do you like boys?”
However, speaking in the build-up to the first Test of West Indies’ bio-secure series in England – for which he has been selected among the reserves as he recovers from an ankle injury – Gabriel was unrepentant, adding that he and his team-mates were simply focused on retaining the Wisden Trophy that they secured with their 2-1 win on home…