Former England captain Alastair Cook, who feels that international cricket should always take precedence over franchise leagues, has once again questioned Jacob Bethell’s decision to stay with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL.
After Bethell was left out of this year’s Cook’s remarks have resurfaced because of the Hundred’s knee injury, which has prevented him from participating in vital match practice ahead of England’s upcoming Test series against Pakistan. The injury he sustained during the ODI series against India has also raised doubts about his availability for the red-ball assignment.
In an interview with Mo Bobat and Dinesh Karthik, Cook reiterated his belief that England’s priorities should come before the IPL.
“What I’m trying to say is that I believe this is the critical point. One of our No. 3 players (who is on the bench) will be here for the Test match in a week. English cricket, in my opinion, is far more significant than an IPL or a franchise. The former captain stated on the Stick to Cricket podcast, “That’s what I think, and apparently I’m not allowed to think it because the IPL is the best tournament in the world.”
“So I’m taking it from Jacob Bethel, who sat on the bench the year before and learned from all those players, who then also sitting on the bench is not playing,” Cook asked, stressing that regular game time would have been more advantageous for Bethell’s development. With all due respect to RCB and all other teams, I’m sitting here sending my No. 3 to the team I genuinely want to win—England. I want England to be the most successful team.”
Watch the video by clicking this link.
One of Stick to Cricket’s most heated debates! 🔥
You will not want to miss this… 8am tomorrow. 📺 pic.twitter.com/NylsQZ1mTn
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) July 21, 2026
Despite having little opportunities in the starting lineup, Bethell had previously justified his decision to remain with RCB. The young batter maintained that there was “no right or wrong way” to deal with such situations and that training with some of the world’s best players in the IPL had significantly assisted in his growth even in the absence of regular playing action.
