During their last Test match in the Caribbean, England captain Joe Root called out a homophobic comment made by West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel.
In the third and final Test of the series, Gabriel and Root were involved in a tense exchange and stump mics picked up Root's response to a comment from the quick.
"Don't use it as an insult," Root said. "There's nothing wrong with being gay."
Gabriel was charged with a breach of the ICC's code of conduct for his comment and handed a four-match suspension, later admitting he asked Root: "Why are you smiling at me? Do you like boys?"
At the time, Root said of the incident: "As a player you feel you have responsibilities to uphold on the field and I stand by what I did.
"I just did what I thought was right. You have responsibility to go about things in a certain manner on the field and it felt appropriate to act how I did."
Root's response to Gabriel was particularly important given the game was being played on the island of Saint Lucia, where homosexual activity is illegal.
In a statement, Gabriel made an 'unreserved apology' for his comment, but said he 'assumed it was inoffensive picong [teasing] and sporting banter' rather than a homophobic slur.
Gabriel said: "The exchange occurred during a tense moment on the field. 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.
"I recognise now that I was attempting to break through my own tension when I said to Joe 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'.
"Joe Root and I have since spoken and I am comforted by the fact that there are no hard feelings between us. I think it's fair to say that neither of us ever expected the issue to escalate to the point that it has.
"Nonetheless, I embrace this as a learning experience and as an opportunity for myself and all athletes to recognise the need for sensitivity and respect in their interactions with all."
Gabriel later claimed that the incident had been "blown way out of proportion" and that "the story that was told was not entirely the truth".
Speaking ahead of the West Indies tour of England in 2020, Gabriel said: "The way they dealt with it, it was blown way out of proportion.
"The story that was told was not entirely the truth but I just want to move on and forget it. That's the past and I'm looking forward to the future now."
Gabriel has not been named in the West Indies squad for the upcoming series due to a hamstring injury, but he could be fit enough to feature later in the tour.
