Part-time spinner Glenn Phillips is emerging as a genuine bowling option for the Black Caps at the T20 World Cup.
Glenn Phillips has been bowling more for the Black Caps ahead of the T20 World Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Phillips picked up a wicket with his first ball in the warm-up match against England on Thursday and could be used to back-up Ish Sodhi and Mitch Santner during the tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
Black Caps coach Gary Stead said Phillips was given an opportunity with the ball as the team attempted to come up with plans to counteract the varying conditions of the three different wickets used during the tournament.
"He showed that he is an option there for us," Stead said.
"Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have all offered slightly different things and what we have noticed just recently is the wickets are getting slightly better than they were through the IPL as well. So we just want to make sure we've got our options covered so if we do have to adapt then we've got some guys with experiences under their belt."
Stead has not settled on his bowling line-up for New Zealand's first game against Pakistan on 28 October in Sharjah - a surface likely to be the toughest they will play on.
"You don't wanna overthink what it might be, but you do want to have an idea at the back of your mind how you believe it will play and we have that in our mind, now we just have to make sure we are really clear on our strategy around how we get there and adapt if we need to."
Sharjah is where Stead said changes might happen to the starting XI but he was happy to stick to a similar make-up of two spinners, two pace bowlers and a spinning and pace bowling allrounder.
"We've had that balance for quite a while, I think it's still the right balance in most of the conditions here."
Over the next six days the Black Caps' coaches will try to temper captain Kane Williamson's preparations, with the hopes he'll be available for the entire tournament.
Kane Williamson is being encouraged to stop practicing so much ahead of the World Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Williamson's ongoing elbow niggle kept him out of the loss to England and Stead said he will be monitored.
"Kane is a prodigious hitter of balls, he loves to prepare that way as well and in some ways that's probably the worst thing you can do is over-hit at times so it's really getting that balance right for him between feeling ready and prepared to go and making sure we don't aggravate anything any further."
Williamson won't be the only player taking it easy in the lead up as Stead said the conditions required it.
"Balancing up the training versus the rest that the guys need after [warm-up matches] as well, so we'll have a day off tomorrow and then probably one more as well.
"The training here, especially if you train in the day, is quite sapping so making sure that we're clear on that and then we'll start our normal process that we go through for tournaments."
-RNZ