‘If county cricket was as strong as…’: Pietersen hits back at Cook over Bethell’s IPL stint

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) England great Kevin Pietersen hit back at former teammate Alastair Cook for advising Jacob Bethell to leave the IPL due to no game time and return home to play County cricket, saying the ex-England skipper has no idea what it’s like to be in the IPL.

RCB acquired Bethell for Rs 2.60 crore ahead of IPL 2025 and retained him for the 2026 season. The all-rounder, who played two games and impressed with a 33-ball 55 against Chennai Super Kings last year, is yet to play a match in the IPL 2026.

Bethell had scored a century against Australia in an Ashes Test in Sydney, recorded his maiden ODI century against South Africa and was England’s highest run-getter at the 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring 280 runs in eight innings, striking at 152.17.

Cook earlier suggested that Bethell should turn to county cricket, with his place at stake for this summer’s Test series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, rather than “sitting and not doing anything” at the IPL.

“It’s not ideal, is it? He’s sitting 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.

However, Pietersen expressed strong disagreement with Cook’s opinion, stating that Cook has no idea what it’s like to be around the best players in the world and supported Bethell’s stay in India.

“Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it’s like to be in the IPL. What’s it like to always be around the best players in the world. So his opinion on Jacob Bethell doesn’t matter at all. Stay in India, Jacob. I know, even though you’re not playing, you’re learning and will be a way better player,” Pieterson shared on X.

In another post, Pietersen argued that county cricket is not strong as it was in 90s and with Bethell being in India for the IPL, it will benefit England.

“If county cricket was as strong as it was in the late 90s and early 2000s, I’d also want Bethell back playing it now. But, it’s NOT! It’ll benefit England more by him being in India and he’s already shown that,” he shared in another X post.

–IANS

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