Shannon Gabriel banned for four ODIs
Windies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has been suspended for four ODIs after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the third Test against England.
He was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the code, which concerns “personal abuse of a player”, following an altercation with England captain Joe Root.
While it has still not been made known what Gabriel said, Root’s response – “Don’t use it as an insult, there’s nothing wrong with being gay” – suggested Gabriel’s comments might have been homophobic in nature.
“Don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
Joe Root responds to sledging from Windies bowler Shannon Gabriel.
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— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 12, 2019
Gabriel admitted to the charge and was awarded three demerit points and fined 75 per cent of his match fee. The fast bowler had previously been handed five demerit points for earlier code of conduct breaches – three for deliberately making contact with Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in the Jamaica Test in April 2017, and two for a similar incident involving Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes in November 2018, after which he was banned for one Test.
Shannon Gabriel was ushered away by Kraigg Brathwaite after confronting Joe Root
Gabriel has now accumulated eight demerit points, which, under the ICC’s system amounts to four suspension points, which equates to a ban from two Tests or four limited-overs internationals.
The West Indies ace hasn’t played an ODI since December 2017, and hadn’t been selected in the squad for the first two ODIs against England, but, speaking prior to the Root incident, chairman of selectors Courtney Browne confirmed that he remained in their World Cup plans and that he would be considered for selection later in the series.
Gabriel took seven wickets across the first two Test matches against England, helping West Indies to a 2-1 series win.
