Four, apparently. And it is no joke.
The Black Caps have enlisted the help of four specialist glovemen for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka, which has sparked concern in some ranks that New Zealand's No 1 keeper, Brendon McCullum, may be looking to manage his workload.
However, if there is a conspiracy of sorts it appears the selectors are not in on it.
Head selector Glenn Turner said he was as surprised as anyone McCullum did not take the gloves during the world twenty/20 tournament in England last month.
When asked why McCullum had played as a specialist batsman, Turner responded: "You'd have to ask the on-tour selectors that.
We had nothing to do with that.
"As far as we are concerned, he is our No 1 keeper and he should be keeping wickets."
Turner said he did not know why McCullum did not keep wickets.
"He has had some niggles, which keepers tend to have. He had a broken finger but that was right towards the end.
"I know he has had a bit of a back issue from time to time. Perhaps on one or two occasions he hasn't been able to keep because of injury but then he has played as a batsman, so . . ."
Turner was unsure if McCullum was reducing his workload with a view to extending his career.
However, he thought it would be detrimental to the player's skills if that were the case.
"I'm a great believer in the `use it or lose it' philosophy. I don't believe in the conservation aspect. It is a bit like saying you've only got so many throws in your arm."
Turner defended the decision to pick three back-up keepers for the Sri Lankan tour.
"It is a reflection on the fact the types of games are very different now."
With that in mind, selectors have picked specialists in the three formats.
While Reece Young's name might have surprised some cricket observers, Turner said he had been on the selectors' radar for some time.
"We believe Reece Young is the next best gloveman and is the standby keeper for the tests. It is too important a position to risk not having a specialist."
Young had a good summer with the blade for Auckland but his batting is not considered dynamic enough for him to deputise for McCullum in the one-dayers.
That role goes to Aces team-mate Gareth Hopkins, while Northern Districts' Peter McGlashan will stand in for McCullum in the twenty/20 fixtures.
"We see McGlashan as someone who can improvise and bat in the limited-overs and keep wickets if there is an injury. But we prefer Hopkins in the one-dayers."
Attempts to contact McCullum were unsuccessful yesterday.
New Zealand wicketkeepers
Brendon McCullum
Age: 27
Caps: 44 (test), 153 (ODI), 26 (T20).
Ranking: The Black Caps' No 1 gloveman in all forms of the game.
Reece Young
Age: 29
Caps: None.
Ranking: Considered the second-best keeper in the country but his batting holds him back in the shorter versions of the game.
Gareth Hopkins
Age: 32
Caps: 1 (test), 12 (ODI), 1 (T20).
Ranking: Considered the best back-up option for McCullum in one-day cricket.
Peter McGlashan
Age: 30
Caps: 4 (ODI), 7 (T20).
Ranking: An innovative batsman but viewed as a fill-in keeper.
