- Agnew renewed his contract as a commentator with the BBC earlier this month
- The broadcaster admitted frustration at the use of gender neutral terminology
- Agnew expressed disappointment at the terms ‘batter’ and the ‘Men’s Ashes’
BBC chief cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew has taken a swipe at gender neutral terminology into the sport, insisting their introduction is ‘sad’.
Agnew announced earlier this month he will step down from his role at the end of the summer.
The broadcaster confirmed the news as he signed a four-year extension to remain as a commentator on Test Match Special.
Agnew, speaking to the Sunday Times, admitted his disappointment at the changing vocabulary around the sport following the introduction of gender neutral terminology.
This includes the use of ‘batter’ rather than batsman.
BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew has criticised the use of gender neutral terminology in cricket
Agnew admitted his frustration at the use of the term ‘batter’ rather than ‘batsman’
The MCC announced back in 2021 that cricketers would be referred to as ‘batters’
‘I hate “batter”, I always call a woman batsman a ‘batter’,’ Agnew said. ‘But why can’t a man playing a man’s game be a “batsman”?’
‘I just think it’s sad, inclusivity’s great, but come on.’
The influential Marylebone Cricket Club announced in 2021 that cricketers would be referred to as ‘batters’.
The MCC said the move was a ‘natural progression’ and it changed the Laws of Cricket to make it ‘inclusive for all’.
It was claimed the decision followed the wider usage of the terms ‘batter’ and ‘batters’ since the previous review of the laws of the game.
‘The move to “batter” is a natural progression, aligning with the terms of bowlers and fielders that already sit within the Laws,’ the MCC said in 2021.
The changes had been blasted by some fans as being ‘woke’.
Agnew, who joined the BBC in 1991, also expressed frustration regarding the Ashes which England and Australia have contested on the men’s side since 1882.
The biennial Test series between the teams was termed ‘the Ashes’ after a mock newspaper obituary of the England team, after Australia won on English soil for the first time.
A Women’s Ashes has been contested since 1998.
Agnew expressed his frustration at why the Ashes has to be known as the ‘men’s Ashes’
The women’s Ashes has been contested by England and Australian teams since 1998
‘That doesn’t mean to say that the Ashes has to be the “men’s Ashes”,’ Agnew said.
“People will call me an old fart, I suppose, it’s an event. It happened.
‘It’s not the “Men’s Battle of Hastings”, is it?’
The former England international stressed he is a fan of the women’s game, stating he had a ‘great time’ covering the Commonwealth Games tournament in Birmingham.
Agnew is due to remain in post as the BBC’s lead commentator until at least 2027 after signing his new deal with the corporation.
He is due to pass over his other broadcast commitments and columnist duties at the end of the summer.
