BBC blast voice of cricket Agnew for amazing ‘c***’ rant on Twitter with journalist
JONATHAN AGNEW, the BBC Radio’s cricket correspondent, has been reprimanded by his chiefs following his X-rated Twitter rant towards another journalist.
The Test Match Special commentator took on The Independent’s Jonathan Liew for his piece on the debate regarding Jofra Archer’s imminent inclusion in the England squad.
Agnew, 59, sent Liew a number of direct messages on Twitter, calling The Independent’s writer a “c***” on numerous occasions.
He wrote: “I’m going no further on the advice of people I have heard back from who know you and think you are a c***. I know you are. Think on.
“C***. You’re so strange I don’t know if you’d be upset to know those who think you are a c***. Or not.”
And Sports Agenda believe that the BBC chiefs had spoken to Agnew even before Liew made his messages public on Saturday.
Agnew was reportedly reprimanded and reminded of “clear standards of behaviour” that are expected while working for the public broadcaster.
However he avoided further punishment, unlike BBC 5Live presenter Danny Baker who was sacked for a “racist” royal baby picture he tweeted last week.
Agnew has also apologised to Liew in writing.
ARCH DRAMA
Archer, 24, was born in Barbados but holds a British passport – the only one he has ever had – thanks to his father.
And the Sussex speedster could be fast-tracked into the England side following the decision to cut his seven-year qualification period to just three.
Liew referred to Agnew’s words about Archer’s call-up, who said: “A huge call. Morale and camaraderie is a big part in team performance.”
The Independent’s columnist then wrote: “[This] feels instinctively unarguable – who doesn’t love morale and camaraderie, after all?
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“Until you begin to ask why Archer is deemed such a grave threat to it.”
He later added: “There’s an incendiary word you could posit to describe all this, but I’m not going to use it.”
The two journalists’ feud could date back to 2012, when Liew called Agnew “the most overrated broadcaster on planet Earth” who adds “virtually nothing in terms of insight”.