Share

Gabriel suspended after Root exchange

London - West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was on Wednesday suspended for four one-day internationals after breaching the International Cricket Council's code of conduct over comments made to England's Joe Root.

Gabriel has been fined 75 percent of his match fee for the incident during the third Test in St Lucia and handed three demerit points, taking his total to eight within a 24-month period.

The nature of the paceman's words is not known but England captain Root was picked up on stump microphones telling Gabriel: "Don't use it as an insult. There's nothing wrong with being gay."

A statement from the ICC said: "During the third day of the St Lucia Test against England on Monday, Gabriel was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the ICC code of conduct... which relates to "personal abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee during an international match", following an incident with Root.

"Gabriel admitted the offence after the end of the match on Tuesday and accepted the sanction."

West Indies won the Test series against England 2-1.

Root received praise for his response to Gabriel, made in the process of compiling a century, with fellow sportsmen, politicians and LGBT equality charity Stonewall all applauding his stance.

Gabriel, 30, already had five demerit points against his name for two earlier incidents. With the addition of the latest three demerit points, he has reached the threshold of eight demerit points, converted into four suspension points.

Four suspension points equate to a ban from two Tests or four ODIs/Twenty20 internationals, whichever come first for the player.

Gabriel was in November suspended from a Test in Bangladesh when he reached the threshold of four demerit points.

The five-match one-day series starts in Barbados on February 20.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2241 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE