"It started by telling New Zealand cricket that I didn’t want them to pick me anymore if I was going to play as a keeper" - Glenn Phillips

New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips has opened up on his switch from wicket-keeping at the beginning of his international career to one of the best fielders in world cricket. Phillips stated his dislike for keeping and how a back injury helped him convey to New Zealand Cricket about not picking him up as a gloveman.

The 27-year-old debuted for the national side in T20Is in 2017 as a keeper but has played only as a batting all-rounder since early 2018. Phillips has played only seven out of his 115 matches across formats as a keeper for the Black Caps.

In a recent interview for Wisden, Phillips revealed how a back injury helped him become a fielder instead of donning the gloves.

“I hated keeping long before that (back injury), but the back injury was the perfect excuse. It started by telling New Zealand cricket that I didn’t want them to pick me anymore if I was going to play as a keeper... I jumped off that boat to live by my sword and die by it - thankfully it worked out. I would rather do what I was enjoying than stick around doing something I hated with a passion," said Phillips.

He further highlighted why he disliked wicket-keeping by saying:

"I got to the point where I got frustrated with everyone in the field. You get stuck in one position where you can only move 10 metres to your left and to your right. If the ball doesn’t come to you then there’s no movement, you’re not involved in the game at all and I felt like it was a waste of time. It was no fun. There’s no movement, no running and what’s the point of doing something if you’re not enjoying something?"

While Phillips has kept only in T20Is, the lone format he played for New Zealand till 2020, his numbers as a non-keeper are considerably better.

The 27-year-old averages a dismal 18.40 at a strike rate of 117.94 as a keeper in T20Is but an excellent 34.28 at 143.67 as a non-keeper.

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"Didn’t realize how much I wanted to play Test cricket until I started bowling" - Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips debuted in Tests in the 2020 Australian tour (Image: Getty)

Despite being touted as a powerful white-ball batter, Glenn Phillips mentions Test cricket as his favorite format. He opened up in the same interview about how the bowling aspect helped him understand his love for the longest format.

"I didn’t realize how much I wanted to play Test cricket until I started bowling,” says Phillips. “Even just from being able to play in Bangladesh and be involved in both sides of the game… I can go out and bowl 25 overs and bat for as long as I want. That’s where the enjoyment comes from."

While Phillips debuted in Tests back against Australia in 2020, he became a regular only during the Bangladesh tour last year.

Phillips' all-round performance in the two-match Test series in Bangladesh helped New Zealand avoid a series defeat and finish with a 1-1 draw. He finished with 181 runs and eight wickets at impressive batting and bowling averages of 60.33 and 16.37, respectively.