Opinion: Why Shannon Gabriel's ban is unjustified
The episode involving Shannon Gabriel and Joe Root is in the past now. The former has been handed a four ODI ban while the latter has decided to move on and not dwell on the past. But the entire drama has raised some pertinent questions.
There are divided opinions on whether the ban was justified or an overreaction. Joe Root has been receiving great applause from people in his country for doing “the right thing.” But the question of whether Gabriel deserved this kind of punishment needs to be studied in greater depth.
Rather than glorify the conduct of ICC and see them as upholders of contemporary morality, let’s inspect the various aspects of the whole incident. This will help us see why this wasn’t a simple black-and-white case of a principled organization standing up to an insensitive bloke on the field.
Was Gabriel Really Offensive?
We have to begin our inspection with the basic question: were Gabriel’s words really homophobic, as is being made out? He asked Joe Root – “Do you like boys?”
Now just consider the fact that Gabriel is a big fast bowler who bowls at near 150/kph. Needless to say, he has to put his body through the wringer every time he delivers a ball. On top of that, West Indies were a bowler down in that innings and Gabriel had to shoulder the extra workload.
While bursting his guts, he saw Joe Root smiling cheekily at him. Annoyed, he made the now infamous comment. But he didn’t use any homophobic slur. Root’s reply – “Don’t use that as an insult! There is nothing wrong in being gay” – made the West Indian look worse than his comment merited.
So often, a person might ask another – “Are you high?” on seeing him behave in an irritating manner. This question doesn’t necessarily imply that the one asking it is against alcohol consumption or himself abstains from it. It merely is an indignant response to something that gets underneath one’s skin.
Similarly, one of the most common refrains that we hear from coaches and commentators when exhorting players to see through tough spells of play is “Man up.” Now how would it seem if somebody responds to it with – “Don’t use that as an insult! There is nothing wrong with not being a man, that is, being a woman.” Most would find it ridiculous.
In this situation, Gabriel, who was bowling his heart out got irritated by Root’s smirks. The English captain is known for trying to annoy opponents. In his exasperation, Gabriel tried to hit back by asking him the above-mentioned question.
He didn’t say that Root would be a pervert if he likes boys. And who knows, Root’s comment might have been a clever retort to make Gabriel look worse. To deem Gabriel’s comments as homophobic is a bit excessive.