Former England cricketer Kevin Peterson But started a strong reaction. Alastair Cook After which the former England captain advised the young batsman. Jacob Bethel Royal Challengers Bangalore should consider shortening their IPL 2026 stint and returning to county cricket.Cook argued that despite his immense talent, Bethel was wasting valuable development time sitting on the bench. The youngster, who lit up the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a sensational 45-ball century in the semi-final, is yet to feature in a game for RCB this season due to stiff competition from overseas stars like Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd and Josh Hazlewood.Cook believes the situation is not ideal for a player at this stage of his career. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, he said Bethel’s potential at the top of the order is already clear and needs to be backed up with consistent game time.“For that top-order batting, the way he played in Sydney, against that attack, in those conditions… I saw a player out there, and I’m sure the guy can open. If he can bat three, he can open,” Cook said.He also questioned the value of remaining on the IPL bench during a crucial developmental phase.“(But) it’s not ideal, is it? Bethel really shouldn’t be because he’s not opening. He’s not sitting around doing anything in the IPL. Ideally, he could come back and open for Warwickshire to help England,” he added.Patterson, however, strongly disagreed, turning to X to give a blunt reply.“Alastair Cook has absolutely no idea what it’s like to be in the IPL… what it’s like to always be with the best players in the world. So his opinion about Jacob Bethel doesn’t matter. Live in India Jacob. I know, even though you’re not playing, you’re learning and will become a better player,” Patterson wrote on X.Pietersen emphasized that being a part of the IPL environment, training with and learning from some of the best players in the world, can be invaluable to a young cricketer’s development, even without immediate match opportunities.
