Image Credit- AP
Glenn Phillips is a multifaceted individual. Before
turning into a professional cricketer, he played football and hockey in high
school. He enjoys mountain biking, surfing, hiking, and archery as well. He
even has a flying simulator at home, and after his professional career is over,
he hopes to become a commercial pilot.
Additionally, Phillips is New Zealand’s go-to cricket
player. In Under-19 cricket, he has batted first alongside Rachin Ravindra. He
can start playing in the middle order right away. He can complete an inning.
Although a back ailment has slightly limited that skill, he can also keep
wicket. His outfield abilities are well known. He can also bowl offspin fairly
quickly. He is also creative.
Phillips is now a highly sought-after package in T20
cricket thanks to all of these abilities. Despite scoring an unbeaten 63
against Pakistan in Karachi in January of this year, there were some concerns
about Phillips’ capacity to construct — or reconstruct — an ODI innings. After
New Zealand had fallen to 110 for 4 against Afghanistan on a challenging,
two-paced Chepauk pitch, such concerns reappeared.
The ball was being made to skid and zip off the ground
by Azmatullah Omarzai. Rashid Khan was operating as usual. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was
likewise moving the ball in both directions. New Zealand went 64 (legal) balls
without a boundary at one point. In a 144-run fifth-wicket partnership,
Phillips and his captain Tom Latham handled all of that strain, fulfilling yet
another duty for New Zealand.
Phillips’ ability to bat against spin has not been
extensively tested in international cricket, but he has mastered Chepauk-style
turners in the CPL after closely collaborating with Ramnaresh Sarwan when
playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs. He improved his understanding of his game
against spin by frequently visiting the Caribbean.
After defeating the three spinners Rashid, Mujeeb, and
Mohammad Nabi, Phillips got a good matchup against his IPL teammate Fazalhaq
Farooqi and smacked him for two imposing leg-side sixes in the 45th over. One
of those came off a perfectly innocent slower ball into the field.
Phillips wasn’t done just yet. With the ball, he
operated from around the wicket and bowled darts, denying the Afghanistan
batters access to the shorter boundary. He then fronted up to the media,
grinning from ear to ear.
There’s nothing that Phillips can’t do.