Royal Challengers Bengaluru Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell (ANI Photo) Former England captain Alastair Cook has hit back at former team-mate Kevin Pietersen’s criticism of his comments about Jacob Bethell after he suggested the youngster should consider pulling out of the 2026 Indian Premier League in mid-game to play County cricket due to limited opportunities.The debate started when Pietersen strongly disagreed with Cook’s view, saying that being around top players in the IPL itself is invaluable. He also questioned Cook’s understanding of the tournament environment and urged Bethell to stay back in India despite not featuring regularly.Cook has now returned to the discussion on the Stick to Cricket podcast, striking a measured tone while standing by his original point. He claimed his comments were based on Bethell’s lack of playing time and noted that circumstances have changed slightly since then, with the youngster receiving opportunities as an impact player.“I was just giving my opinion. I can justify that when he didn’t play, and he didn’t play (much) last year. So he had the advantage of doing it once or twice. He did a little bit in my opinion. It’s ironic that since all that’s come out, he’s played a little bit now,” Cook said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.Cook further expanded on and highlighted what he believes to be the underlying reality surrounding the league. While acknowledging the IPL’s status, he suggested that players were unlikely to publicly criticize the competition due to its financial appeal and professional implications.“I understand the other argument of learning, but there has to be a stage where you have to play. You can’t just learn from them. I know the IPL is a great tournament, but no one will ever publicly say that the IPL is not the place to be,” he said.Cook added that while he respects both sides of the argument, contractual obligations and career considerations often influence public opinion of the league.“Actually I understand both arguments, like he signed a contract, (so) I’m going to stick to my contract. Now I don’t know how the IPL is, quite clearly, but you hear some little undercurrents like it’s not as good as everyone thinks it is. I’m not knocking the IPL – nobody’s ever going to say it’s terrible because they actually feel like they don’t want their two opinions because they want their two opinions to be right.” added.
