England captain Root will halt Test match if crowd abuse oversteps mark in Ashes

England managing director Ashley Giles has said captain Joe Root will be backed if he chooses to halt an Ashes Test in protest to abuse or discrimination from home fans

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Joe Root has been backed to stop play during the Ashes if any abuse from Australian fans crosses the line.

England’s quest to regain the urn begins on December 8 at The Gabba, Brisbane, a venue where home supporters have been notoriously hostile.

Furthermore, the tourists, who have won just one Test series down under since 1987, won’t have the backing of any away support due to the current travel restrictions in place.

The absence of the ‘Barmy Army’ will leave Root and co exposed to volatile crowds, with Aussie support renowned for being merciless on opposition players when their team is in the ascendancy.

However, England managing director Ashley Giles has trusted his captain “to do what’s right” if any goading can be perceived as discrimination, even saying Root would be backed if he chose to halt the action in a Test match.

“We know crowds can be lively there,” said Giles, who was part of the England squad that famously regained the Ashes on home soil in 2005, only to be humiliated 5-0 in the return series 15 months later.

“I’ve experienced that myself as a player. But it’s important to say from the start there is no room for discrimination in our game,” he told the Daily Mail .

“I’d certainly trust Joe Root to do what’s right. If he chose to bring the team into the middle of the field and stop the game while any incident is investigated then absolutely.”

Opener Haseeb Hameed represents the only non-white player in England’s squad, but Giles, 48, suggested there should be a zero-tolerance approach if any individual is abused.

“I don’t think any of our players should be subject to any abuse actually but discrimination and racism particularly,” he said.

Giles also addressed the controversy surrounding former Yorkshire bowler Azeem Rafiq’s testimony to MP’s, where he made harrowing claims over institutionalised racism at the club.

He said the squad had listened to the testimony, and vowed to help change a culture in cricket whereby casual discrimination is readily accepted.

“We’ve got to call it [racism] out in the dressing room much more if we see it, because perhaps all of us in the past – and I’m not just talking about cricket – have let things go.” added Giles.

England play the ‘England Lions’ in a three day warm-up game on Tuesday, their final run-out before the Ashes.