Kevin Pietersen reignited his long-running feud with Sir Alastair Cook over his former England team-mate’s criticisms of Jacob Bethell travelling to take part in the Indian Premier League.
Bethell has been unused by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Cook urged the youngster to return to Warwickshire to play county cricket instead of ‘sitting on his a*** at the IPL not doing anything’.
Pietersen, who was banished from the England set-up when Cook was captain after the 2013-14 Ashes, argued that the former left-handed opener’s lack of IPL experience means his judgement is irrelevant.
‘Alastair Cook has absolutely NO IDEA what it’s like to be in the IPL,’ Pietersen wrote on X. ‘What it’s 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.’
Bethell has had a breakout past few months to establish himself in England’s top-order across all three formats following hundreds in the Ashes in Sydney and the T20 World Cup semi-final against India.
Jacob Bethell has not batted or bowled for Royal Challengers, featuring only as a sub fielder
While he has been sat on the sidelines for all of RCB’s first six matches, Bethell, who is earning around £250,000 from his deal, defended being at the IPL rather than playing domestic cricket at Edgbaston.
‘I firmly believe that this is the thing for me to be doing right now,’ he told the Sky Cricket podcast.
‘I feel better now than I was a month ago after the World Cup, just from getting time around the guys over here and the pure standard of cricket in India and the IPL.
‘Every nets session, you’ve got hundreds of eyes on you, be it your coaches or the other players who are also looking at you, going, “Is this guy good? Is he not?” You’ve got the people in the crowd with their phones on. You get exposed to a lot of stuff.’
Bethell’s 154 from No3 in January at the end of England’s miserable tour of Australia means he should be in the XI for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s in June.
Kevin Pietersen (left) and Alastair Cook on the 2013-14 Ashes tour, after which Pietersen was banished from the England side
He has been linked with moving up to open, where he has batted in white-ball cricket, if England discard Zak Crawley, which could lead to Somerset’s James Rew being selected in the middle-order.
Bethell admitted he would prefer to stay at No3 but would do whatever he is told – referencing Joe Root being moved to opener to accommodate a returning Pietersen ahead of the 2013 Ashes.
‘I’d love to stay at three, if it’s up to me. I really like the position,’ Bethell added. ‘I don’t think there’s a massive difference between three and the top.
‘Someone like Rooty had to start opening the batting and then kind of sit back down into No 4. So if that’s what they want me to do, I’d be more than happy to do it.
‘But, I like three and I’d love to cement that spot as mine if possible.’
