West Indies cricketer Shannon Gabriel was, last year, was engaged in an infamous banter with England’s Test captain Joe Root. He doesn’t want to reminisce that episode of his cricket career as he is set to play the Test series against England in July.
Shannon Gabriel was involved in the controversies in the Test series against England in February 2019. He had, reportedly, passed some homophobic remark to Joe Root, who was at the crease, in the St Lucia Test match. However, his statement could not be recorded, but Root’s voice was recorded in the stump mic. He was telling Gabriel “don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay”.
After that banter, ICC slapped him a four-match ban and fined 75 per cent of his match fee.
As the speedster is in England and practising for the upcoming series, he expressed that he didn’t want to recall what’s in the past but added that, he didn’t agree to allegations held against him. He is looking for the coming challenge and preparing his best to deliver in the field.
“To be honest that was in the past. I don’t really think about it too much. Whatever happened or whatever was said, I don’t really want to harp on about that, I’m just looking to the future now,” Gabriel was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I’ve just come here to play good cricket if selected, and do my best for West Indies cricket. I think the way they dealt with it was blown way out of proportion. The story that was told was not entirely true, but I just want to move on and forget that,” he said.
The right-arm fast bowler has so far played 45 Test matches, and 25 ODIs, picking 133 and 33 wickets respectively. He has also represented West Indies in two T20Is.