Former England captain Alastair Cook on Wednesday reignited the debate over Jacob Bethell’s decision to remain with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying international cricket should always take precedence over franchise leagues.
Cook’s remarks have resurfaced after Bethell was ruled out of this year’s The Hundred with a knee injury, depriving him of valuable match practice ahead of England’s upcoming Test series against Pakistan.
Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast alongside Mo Bobat and Dinesh Karthik, Cook reiterated his earlier criticism of Bethell staying in the IPL despite receiving limited opportunities to play. He believed that England players should prioritise international cricket over the IPL or any other franchise league. He questioned why one of England’s prospective No. 3 batters was spending time on the bench ahead of an important Test series and remarked that expressing such a view often invited criticism because the IPL was regarded by many as the world’s premier T20 tournament.
Cook argued that Bethell had already gained enough experience from spending one season around top players and questioned the value of remaining on the sidelines for another campaign.
“So I’m taking it from Jacob Bethell, who sat on the bench the year before and learnt from all those players. Then he’s also sitting on the bench and not playing. I actually really want England to win. No disrespect to RCB or any franchise, I want England to be the most successful side,” he added.
Cook’s comments have attracted renewed attention after Bethell sustained a knee injury during England’s ODI series against India.
The injury forced the youngster to withdraw from The Hundred, where he had been appointed captain of Birmingham Phoenix, while also casting doubt over his availability for England’s Test series against Pakistan.
Earlier this year, Bethell defended his decision to remain with RCB despite limited playing opportunities.
The young batter said there was “no right or wrong way” to approach player development and maintained that training alongside some of the world’s best cricketers in the IPL had benefited his game, even when he was not part of the playing XI.