"My biggest regret" - Glenn Phillips on keeping wickets during IPL 2023 as he aims to be a batting all-rounder
New Zealand cricketer Glenn Phillips admitted that his biggest regret in recent times was keeping wickets during his stint in IPL 2023. With the 27-year-old slowly moulding himself into a specialist all-rounder, he suggested that people must see him that way.
The South Africa-born cricketer has been delivering performances with the bat and ball of late. He took six wickets in 10 matches during the 2023 World Cup, and took his maiden fifer in Test cricket against Australia in Wellington last week.
Phillips, whose profile also entails keeping duties, said, as quoted by Stuff.co.nz:
"I did it [keeping] for the IPL last year – it was my biggest regret."
The 27-year-old revealed that he hasn't been taken as a genuine bowling option more often than not.
"I've definitely been caught in moments where I'm not taken seriously and then you have to get into that prove-it mindset again, which is sometimes hard to take. There’s a difference in mindset, understanding that I am a genuine option, not just someone for a ‘oh, here we go, we'll see how it goes, part-time scenario’."
With the Kiwis failing to pick a specialist spinner against Australia in the 1st Test in Wellington, he stepped up to the task. From 127-4, Phillips' fifer ensured that Australia collapsed to 164.
"I let myself feel that I was there to do a job" - Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips credited the mindset change of treating himself as a specialist bowler behind his fifer. He added:
"It’s the first game where personally, from a mental perspective, I let myself feel that I was there to do a job, rather than to prove I could do the job. I think that mindset change really helped, especially against a side like Australia."
However, the fifer went in vain as Australia beat New Zealand by 172 runs on day 4. The 2nd Test begins on March 8th in Christchurch.