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Kevin Pietersen slammed former England captain Alastair Cook after he suggested that young batter Jacob Bethell should leave the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and return to England to play county cricket.
Bethell, who was picked up for INR 2.6 crore in the Indian Premier League 2025 auction, has not yet played a match this season. RCB have stuck with their winning combination, which has left him on the bench.
Alastair Cook's take on Jacob Bethell
Considering the condition, Cook said on the Stick to Cricket podcast that Bethell should head back home and open the batting for Warwickshire to get more game time. He felt it would be better for his development rather than sitting out in the IPL.
“For that top order batting, the way he played at Sydney, against that attack, in those conditions – I’ve looked at a player there, and I’m certain this bloke can open. If he can bat three, he can open. (But) it’s not ideal, is it? Bethell shouldn’t really be it, because he’s not opening. He’s sitting on his a*** at the IPL, not doing anything. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England,” Cook had said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
Why Pietersen slammed Alastair Cook?
Pietersen, however, strongly disagreed with that view. In a post on X, he said Cook does not really understand what it means for a young player to be part of the IPL setup, even if they are not playing matches.
He urged Bethell to stay in India and continue learning from top international players, saying that the experience itself is valuable for his growth.
Before his IPL stint, Bethell had a strong showing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scoring 280 runs in 8 matches. One of his best knocks came against India in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium, where he smashed 105 runs off just 48 balls.