Glenn Phillips Interview | The opportunity to fail, come back and try once more: a key part of being able to learn

Not many cricketers have managed to transition from a wicketkeeper-batter into a correct all-rounder, and one which excels as an off-spinner no much less. Not many New Zealand spinners can boast of a Test five-wicket haul on dwelling soil. And not many cricketers are predominantly remembered for his or her unbelievable catches.

Welcome to the world of Glenn Phillips, a man who has managed to buck the development and carve a area of interest for himself.

The all-rounder — hoping to get constant game-time with Gujarat Titans within the Indian Premier League this yr — gave an perception into his transition into an off-spinner, his capability to maintain on to gorgeous catches, his need to have an identification past cricket, and extra. Excerpts:

How did it daybreak upon you to convert into a spin-bowling all-rounder from a wicketkeeping all-rounder?

It was fairly easy. I hate wicketkeeping, so that’s that first off. Then off-spin facet of issues, I’ve been doing it for a lengthy, very long time. I’ve at all times bowled within the nets and I’ve liked it. I don’t know why I find it irresistible, however I do. There’s at all times an opportunity within the nets to bowl. It’s a talent that’s clearly onerous. Batters are extremely robust today, it’s a batters’ world. So to be able to try and entry that bowling facet of issues is a good problem.

I felt like as a wicketkeeper I used to be caught in a single place and it was actually boring. I didn’t take pleasure in it in any respect. But to be able to have the opportunity to bowl, that signifies that I might be concerned in each halves and that’s what’s the most interesting part of it.

Were you pressured into wicketkeeping early on?

There will not be many individuals who can catch [the ball] when you find yourself younger and I received very annoyed. Therefore I used to be like ‘just let me do it’. Wicketkeeping was extra out of a default. I used to find it irresistible however then I skilled actually onerous for a actually very long time once I was younger and simply blew a gasket and realised that I’d moderately run round within the subject.

Unfortunately, when you find yourself good at one thing, the coaches and workers make you do it as a result of nobody else can do it and due to this fact till there have been different wicketkeepers that had been adequate to do it, the opportunity to bowl by no means actually got here up. I just about spent the higher part of 10 years of my profession making an attempt to get out of wicketkeeping, sadly.

Now that you’ve got established your self as a correct all-rounder, what about it do you take pleasure in essentially the most?

It’s simply the flexibility to be concerned in each halves. I like the sensation of taking a wicket, to be able to see a ball flip back by the gate and hit the stumps. [Like in] the Tests towards India lately the place bowling truly had a big part to play. It makes you very selectable for those who might be concerned in each halves.

I’m first and foremost a batter. But to be able to supply the captain [a few] overs with the ball makes you very versatile in any group you might be in. It stems from wanting to bowl in Test cricket essentially the most. There’s a larger factor of talent concerned there, the wickets are extremely onerous to come by and they make it very, very satisfying to be a part of.

Glenn Phillips.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

Taking my first five-for towards Australia in Wellington was an unimaginable feeling and there’s nothing fairly prefer it. Scoring a hundred is nice, however taking a five-wicket haul is fairly extremely onerous to do, so it takes the cake.

When it comes to the limited-overs format, do you take pleasure in being a batter first or a bowler?

I take pleasure in being a batter first. It’s my job, however bowling is unquestionably my pastime. I like bowling. I bowl in any scenario. I perceive that there’s gonna be conditions which might be onerous to bowl and if the captain is keen to throw me the ball, I would like it. You want alternatives in a recreation to be able to develop and I’ve had nice leaders, Kane (Williamson), (Mitchell) Santner, Tim Southee and Tom Latham, who all believed in me and gave me the opportunity to fail as effectively.

That’s fairly a key part of being able to learn as a bowler and take a step ahead, being given the opportunity to fail, come back and try once more. They’ve been unimaginable for that.

Rajasthan Royals for half a season, then Sunrisers Hyderabad and now Gujarat Titans. What’s on the highest of your wish-list for IPL 2025?

To play persistently can be good. I’ve been a part of a couple of groups the place, because the abroad gamers, we’ve been extremely robust and I understood it. You come, you reside, you learn, I try to use the opportunity to work actually onerous on my health, on my fielding and ensuring that I’ve an opportunity to enhance my recreation, particularly within the spin facet of issues going into the remaining of the yr and all of the excursions to come.

If I’ve the opportunity to play right here, that may be improbable. That can be undoubtedly on the highest of my checklist, however I’m all for regardless of the group wants.

I’m not gonna waste my time right here [in India] regardless. I’m gonna guarantee that I practice onerous, I work onerous within the health club if I’m not taking part in and if I’m taking part in, I’ll give my greatest 100%.

When you don’t get alternatives within the IPL, how do you retain calm and keep away from getting annoyed?

I’ve received many hobbies. I’m not gonna be losing my time or get annoyed. I’ve performed padel-ball most nights, I’ve received my flight simulator right here, I play golf and I hang around with the boys. Often my spouse comes on tour as effectively, so we take pleasure in hanging out collectively. So I’ve loads to maintain me busy. At the tip of the day, I try to guarantee that cricket just isn’t my identification. It’s clearly a job and it’s a sport and I find it irresistible, however there’s a larger part of me and I want to guarantee that I maintain myself comfortable on the within as a result of in any other case, cricket’s gonna take its toll. I gotta guarantee that I’m comfortable, rested and have a balanced life.

Do you contemplate your self a higher padel participant or a higher cricketer?

Uhh no, undoubtedly a higher cricketer however but to be a higher padel-ball participant.

Which one of your catches do you watch on loop?

I don’t truly watch any on loop. When they occur, I watch them on a loop for a little bit as a result of they clearly pop up throughout my Instagram. But I believe the catch of Marcus Stoinis on the boundary on the T20 World Cup, that’s in all probability the one I’ve seen essentially the most.

What’s the key to being such a constant catcher? Reaching out to the ball is one factor, holding on to it to one other, proper?

Yeah, completely. People misunderstand how good my catching is essentially, as a result of, clearly, I’ve dropped loads of catches as effectively. I simply occurred to maintain on to a few which might be extremely powerful. I’m human like everyone else, so I practice as onerous as I can to guarantee that the 90% catches keep. That provides me the arrogance to no less than go for these 10 % catches and hopefully some of them stick. I’ve dropped loads of them. I in all probability may have had eight or 9 extra in my profession to date, however the reality [is] that between 10 to 15 have caught. It has been an unimaginable kind of feeling going by my profession. Everyone hopes for perhaps one or two of their profession and I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have a good stent. A giant chunk of luck is concerned as effectively.

What has been tougher to enhance? Fielding or bowling?

Bowling, as a result of I had a lot of wicketkeeping bias to recover from. I’ve at all times been a good fielder and everyone is aware of I’ve at all times been a good fielder. But in New Zealand, we’ve received a factor the place (it’s assumed) wicketkeepers bodily aren’t able to bowl. I’m making an attempt to change that stigma. It took years to be able to get the opportunity to bowl and show that I may do it, so bowling is unquestionably the tougher facet of issues.