Cricket: Glenn Phillips still unclear on Black Caps return

Injured Black Caps allrounder Glenn Phillips says he can not put a date on his return to cricket after eight months on the sideline, placing him in doubt for February's T20 World Cup.

Phillips has not played for New Zealand in any format since the loss to India in the Champions League one-day international tournament in March, having been forced to undergo rehabilitation after suffering twin groin injuries.

The 28-year-old trained with the Black Caps this week in his home town Dunedin as they prepared for the final T20 against the West Indies.

But he conceded it will be some time before plays for his country again.

His plan is to return to play through domestic cricket with Otago but can not say when that will be.

"When you do both groins, the rehab and recovery is a little bit longer," Phillips said.

"At this stage, no date in mind. It'll probably be for Otago before coming back to the Black Caps side of things. I definitely need to test things in an environment before going into the international scene.

"Once my leg has been loaded enough to be able to perform the way that I do in the field is the main thing.

"I give everything 100 percent and if, at 100 percent, I'm a little bit weak, then I'm not ready to go. So we'll just wait until that stage."

A veteran of 83 T20s, Phillips could be a key figure for New Zealand if recovers in time for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, starting in early February.

His spin bowling has been effective for the Black Caps in the subcontinent and he is widely regarded as the team's premier fielder, along with their best middle order performers with the bat.

Phillips first injured his groin while playing for the Gujurat Titans in the Indian Premier League in April.

He then suffered a similar injury in the final of the US Major League Cricket final, ruling him out of the test tour of Zimbabwe, along with the pre-Christmas white ball series against Australia, England and the West Indies.

Phillips said being out of cricket has been frustrating but there was a silver lining in getting to spend time with his family, as well as work towards a pilot licence.

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