GABRIEL'S SLUR IS A CULTURAL SETBACK OF ACCEPTANCE

When Steven Davies came out as gay eight years ago this month, the first cricketer to openly do so, I commented that cricket’s ‘big society’ would accept him without prejudice or opprobrium.

Well, it seems that I was wrong following Shannon Gabriel’s homophobic remarks to Joe Root during England’s final Test against West Indies in St Lucia.

Not that Root, who is married with a son, is gay. But then I suppose that was the point of Gabriel’s slight which, by implying a straight man to be attracted to anything other than a woman, is an insult above all others in the Caribbean where homosexuality remains illegal in at least nine countries.

The incident came during England’s second innings of the final Test. Root and Gabriel had been having a ding-dong battle – the first proper spar between England’s captain and the West Indies’ premier fast bowler which had not ended in contrition by Root, who on this occasion went on to make a hundred.

“The pressure was on and England’s captain Joe Root was looking at me intensely as I prepared to bowl, which may have been the usual psychological strategy with which all Test cricketers are familiar,” said Gabriel.

“I recognise now that I was attempting to break through my own tension when I said to Root: ‘Why are you smiling? Do you like boys? “His response, which was picked up by the microphone was: ‘Don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.’

“I then responded: ‘I have no issues with that, but you should stop smiling at me.’”

Gabriel has since apologised to Root, the England team as well as his own team. “I know now that it was offensive and for that I am deeply sorry,” Gabriel said in a statement.