New Delhi: Out of favour England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Monday slammed Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler for leaving the Indian Premier League (IPL) midway as the tournament has reached its business end.
Stokes, who played a key role in RPS' redemption in the second half of the league stage, has been recalled by ECB to attend a training camp in Spain with other England cricketers.
Reacting to the news, KP was quoted as saying by skysports.com, “I think it’s pathetic. An absolute shambles. Stokes should be playing in the semi-final, and the final. The last week of the IPL is a huge occasion. Just speak to him, speak to Jos Buttler, they’ll talk about how much it has helped their development being out there. What are they going to Spain for? To field a couple of balls? He should be playing in the IPL."
KP had also tweeted about the same earlier from his official account.
"Absolutely PATHETIC that @benstokes38 & @josbuttler have to go drink a few beers in Spain instead of playing IPL finals!"
Absolutely PATHETIC that @benstokes38 & @josbuttler have to go drink a few beers in Spain instead of playing IPL finals!
— KP (@KP24) May 14, 2017
KP added that apart from financial stability, IPL also provided a lot of learning experiences to the players.
"Cash is one thing, and I know in this country they like to talk cash, cash, cash with IPL, but for his development - have a look at the tweet that Buttler put out last night, how much he loved the experience - playing with those players, coached by Mahela Jayawardene," he added.
Stokes, who was the costliest buy at the IPL auction earlier this year, will now miss Pune's crucial Qualifer 1 match against Mumbai Indians.
There is a lot at stake as the winning team goes straight into the final to be played in Hyderabad on May 21, while the loser gets another chance in the Qualifier 2, to be played on May 19 in Bengaluru.
