Glenn Phillips is inarguably the best fielder in world cricket. He reveals what goes on behind the scenes that makes him such a world-beater.
Glenn Phillips is inarguably the best fielder in world cricket. In the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, the New Zealand all-rounder flew around, defied gravity and took spell-bounding catches. Mohammad Rizwan, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill witnessed Phillips’ brilliance first-hand as the Kiwi channelled his inner Superman to take absolute stunners to send batters back.
Glenn Phillips is inarguably the best fielder in world cricket.(AP)
Even the great Jonty Rhodes hailed Phillips’ brilliance, agreeing that New Zealand cricketer is currently the best in the business. After setting the Champions Trophy where he grabbed some breathtaking catches, all-rounder Phillip’s next stop is the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he will play for Gujarat Titans led by Shubman Gill.
Despite Phillips’ fielding making all the noise in the CT, one cannot deny his impact with both bat and ball. He produced useful cameos in the middle order, and his form was key in New Zealand’s road to the final. The 28-year-old will now look to replicate his form for the Titans, promising to make the 2022 champions a force to reckon with.
In a select media interaction ahead of Gujarat Titans’ first IPL 2025 match against Punjab Kings, Phillips said he’s been blessed with very strong genetics, holding him in good stead while fielding.
“Yeah, I think we’ve definitely been blessed with the very strong genetics from an agility perspective, and I think that does give us an edge to our fielding and obviously, the willingness and enjoyment to the field is probably something that puts us a little bit above potentially your average person who stands in the field not wanting to be there,” he said.
GT won the 2022 edition of the IPL under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy before finishing runner-up in 2023. However, under new captain Gill, the Titans haven’t quite clicked this far, finishing eighth last season. However, Phillips brushed aside concerns of Gill being under pressure, saying cricket is a team game and the fortunes of a side cannot change depending on one player alone.
“It’s a team game. One guy can’t win it. So, I don’t think it has anything to do with Shubman or his captaincy. I think T20 cricket has more to do with who’s in form at the right point in time, and the Sunrisers and KKR were in the best form for the trip, you know,” said Phillips.
“The way they played in the first two years of the team’s adventuring was fantastic, and they were in form, and it was awesome, and hopefully, we’re in form this year. I don’t think it has anything to do with the way Shubman or the pressure that’s under him. You know, he plays for India. Like you don’t get much more pressure than that,” he added.
‘Jonty Rhodes set the standard for everyone’
Phillips also pushed for fielding to get more recognition, as the game is much more than just batting and bowling. He also thanked Jonty Rhodes for praising his fielding.
“Yeah, that was pretty cool seeing that post from Jonty. You know, he’s someone I saw briefly when I was growing up. And, you know, he set the standard for everyone. So to be able to try and, I guess, follow in his footsteps, you know, the likes of AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum, Jadeja, obviously, from an Indian perspective. You know, there’s so many great fielders out there. And I think we’re all trying to push for that same narrative that cricket is more than just batting and bowling,” he said.
“And fielding is an element of it. It’s great entertainment. People can watch. And, you know, if we can inspire the next generation to come in and give more on the field than the generation in the past, then, you know, we’ve done our job,” he added.
Phillips is self-aware and realistic about his game. He knows he cannot do the job that is possibly entrusted to top-order batters like Kohli and Gill. Hence, he is just focusing on simply going about things and following the process.
“I think it’s just the enjoyment side of it. The love for bowling, especially. There’s always been a goal to try and be the best I can from a bowling perspective. And that just brings about the want to train for as long as possible. I’ve always wanted to try and, you know, every kid grows up wanting to be the best in the world. But I’m also realistic,” said Phillips.
“You know, there are guys like Virat, Shubman, and Rachin out there who are just absolutely ridiculous. So obviously, I’m in a completely different situation to them from a roles perspective. So, for me, it’s just going about my business and sticking to my processes. And if I can enjoy the game as much as possible, that’s probably my biggest thing. Whether I’m selected or not, it’s a different story. But if I can keep the love of the game going, that’s probably the biggest part,” he added.
