England captain Ben Stokes has accused the media of twisting his words regarding Jacob Bethell and using them to create unnecessary pressure on vice-captain Ollie Pope. This comes after Pope responded in style with a commanding 171 in the innings win over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. Speaking to BBC Test Match Special, Stokes said the narrative around Pope’s position was “created to suit an agenda,” based on a misinterpretation of his earlier comments about Bethell returning to the squad for the India series. "I've personally felt it was a bit of a… not a vendetta… but I got asked a simple question about Bethell, said put two and two together, he comes back into the squad, and then all of a sudden it turns into something that suits the agenda of the time," Stokes said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. Stokes clarified that he never suggested Pope would be replaced, and was pleased with how his vice-captain stood tall under scrutiny. "He's my vice-captain, and he's been incredible for me at No.3 and the team. I think he's averaging over 40 now… he's a leader within the group and I value that." Also READ: "Only he can tell": Sehwag questions timing of Kohli’s retirement RCB’s Bethell at centre of debate but England top three deliver The controversy began when Stokes was asked if Jacob Bethell, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL, was still considered England’s “incumbent No.3.” Bethell had impressed during the New Zealand tour, scoring 260 runs at 52.00. Also READ: ‘There is no room for him’: Ajit Agarkar explains Shreyas Iyer’s omission from India’s Test squad Stokes had replied, “If you're smart enough… you probably know what's going to happen,” which was widely interpreted as a sign Bethell would replace Pope. But with Bethell unavailable due to IPL duty, Pope made a strong case for himself with a superb century. Stokes later clarified that his comment referred to Bethell’s likely return to the squad, not necessarily the playing XI, and said all three top-order batters: Pope, Zak Crawley (126), and Ben Duckett (100) had made “pretty special” contributions. "Competition for places is a very, very healthy place to be in. Let's focus on the way Zak, Duckett, and Pope played. That’s what should be spoken about."