Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has continued his war of words with former England teammate Kevin Pietersen over the impact of the IPL on an English Test player’s career. The crux of their debate centers around England and RCB’s young “starboy” Jacob Bethel.
Over the past year, Bethel has become the first-choice player for England in all three formats of the game. But due to the presence of veterans like Phil Salt and Tim David, his chances in RCB have been limited.
He could have gone into county cricket instead of sitting on his *** – Alastair Cook
On the Stick to Cricket podcast, Cook suggested that if Bethel was serious enough about ensuring his place in the English Test team, he should have returned from the IPL to play for Warwickshire in the County Championship.
Delhi Capitals’ Ben Duckett had withdrawn from the IPL this year to play in the County Championship and focus on his England Test career. Cook said Bethel should have followed his example instead of warming the bench for RCB.
Cook’s former teammate Kevin Pietersen responded, writing, “Alastair Cook has no idea what happens in IPL. What’s it like to always be around the best players in the world? Therefore his opinion on Jacob Bethel does not matter. Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even if you’re not playing, you’re learning and will become a better player.” on his X account.
Alastair Cook has no idea what happens in IPL. What’s it like to always be around the best players in the world?
Therefore his opinion on Jacob Bethel does not matter.
Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even if you’re not playing, you’re learning and…– Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) 23 April 2026
Pietersen also said, “If county cricket had been as strong as it was in the late 90s and early 2000s, I too would have wanted Bethel back to play in it now. But that is not the case. England would benefit more from him staying in India and he has shown that.”
On the Sky Sports Podcast, Bethel himself responded to Cook’s comments and said that, despite his opportunities being limited, he has learned a lot from his time in India and the IPL.
“I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to do it. This is something that a lot of people won’t understand how good it is unless you’re actually around a team or a tournament. It’s a completely different experience.”
He said at the time, “It feels like everyone raises their game almost without realizing it because of the caliber of the tournament.” He even said that the net sessions in the IPL would have arguably put more pressure on him than playing the County Championship.
Jacob Bethel’s IPL career
In 2025, Bethel played 2 IPL matches, while in 2026 he played 3 matches. All 5 of these matches came when Phil Salt was injured. Last year, he scored 67 runs with one half-century in 2 matches against CSK at an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of almost 172.
In 2026, Bethel scored only 39 runs at an average of 13 in three matches, but he scored 150 runs. With Phil Salt back in the UK due to a finger injury, Bethel is likely to get more game time in this year’s IPL.
Sir Alastair Cook responds to Kevin Pietersen
In the latest edition of the Stick to Cricket podcast, Cook responded to Pietersen’s comments about the strength of the County Championship. Apart from Alastair Cook, the podcast features former England greats Michael Vaughan, Phil Tufnell and David Lloyd as panellists.
When Cook was asked to react to Pietersen’s comments, he said, “I can justify my point. At that time, he was not playing and last year he went to the IPL and did not play.” [Bethell played two matches in 2025]”
“So doing it once or twice helped him, and I really thought, in my opinion he did something [playing in the IPL]Now he can actually come back and play. Now the irony is that since all this has come out, they have played.”
Alastair Cook talked about how learning alone would not do much for Bethel. “I get the other argument about learning, but there has to be a stage where you get to play.”
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