Cricketers call it sledging, or chirping: the business of trying to undermine your opponent with verbal abuse. It’s a dismal habit that shows us sport at its most small-minded and should have been banned long ago. But this week it has done the world a favour.
In the Test in St Lucia, the West Indies bowler Shannon Gabriel was bad-mouthing the England captain, Joe Root. What Gabriel said the stump microphone did not catch but it did bring us Root’s reply: “Don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
Written by Tim de Lisle
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/13/joe-root-andy-murray-gareth-southgate-social-tolerance under the title “Root joins Murray and Southgate in standing up for social tolerance | Tim de Lisle”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
