West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has been banned for four one-day international matches of the upcoming five-match series against England by International Cricket Council (ICC) for an alleged homophobic comment to Captain Joe Root during third and final Test in St. Lucia.
Beside four-match suspension, Gabriel has been also fined 75 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points, taking his total to eight within a 24-month period after breaching the International Cricket Council's code of conduct on Wednesday (13th February).
The paceman was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct relates to “personal abuse of a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an international match”.
However, Gabriel’s exact words are yet to know, as his voice was not audible on the microphone on the stump, but England captain Root was picked up on stump microphones telling the West Indian: “Don't use it as an insult. There's nothing wrong with being gay.”
An ICC statement reads, “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. Gabriel admitted the offense after the end of the match on Tuesday and accepted the sanction.”
Following the Test series which won by the hosts 2-1, England will now face the Caribbean in the five-match one-day series starts in Barbados on February 20.
(With AFP Inputs)
