England captain Joe Root on Monday (February 11) slapped down West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel after the latter passed alleged homophobic remarks at him during the third day of the ongoing St. Lucia Test.

The duo was involved in an on-pitch row with Gabriel being warned by on-field umpires over the use of abusive language. It is not clear what Gabriel said but stump mic caught Root as saying: "There is nothing wrong with being gay."

Addressing the press-conference after the day’s play, the English skipper stated that Gabriel might have said something that the speedster would regret.

"Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret, but they should stay on the field," Root told reporters.

"It's Test cricket and he [Gabriel] is an emotional guy trying to do everything he can to win a Test match. He is a good guy who plays hard cricket and is proud to be in the position he is. The battle was a good contest, he has had a wonderful series and he should be proud," he added.

Meanwhile, Windies head coach Richard Pybus has said that he was unaware of any potential controversy at the close of play but insisted the team would be addressing the issue if the comment is found to be "untoward".

"Nothing has been reported to me. If a comment was made, we will review it. And if it was untoward, we will be addressing it," Pybus said, as quoted by The Guardian.

Coming to the match, Root enjoyed a fine day at the crease, scoring his 16th Test century and finishing 111 not out as England built a massive lead of 448 runs. West Indies have already clinched the Test series, having won the first two Tests in Barbados and Antigua.