HAMILTON: New Zealand’s Ross Taylor has passed an eye test and will be available to face Pakistan in the final Test but the batsman plans to undergo surgery on a benign growth of the conjunctiva after the match and faces six weeks on the sidelines.

Taylor did not bat in the second innings of the series-opening Test in Christchurch after having an preliminary eye test on the first day and was a doubt for the second match at Seddon Park in Hamilton starting on Friday.

After New Zealand wrapped up victory on Sunday, coach Mike Hesson said the 32-year-old former skipper had experienced a problem with vision out of the eye for about a year and a test showed it may have deteriorated ‘quicker’ than hoped. However, a second eye examination in Hamilton returned a more positive prognosis.

“Ross has a pterygium on his left eye, which is gradually getting bigger. Both the specialists he’s seen in recent days have advised Ross still has 20/20 vision and Ross himself feels confident he is ready to play,” team physiotherapist Tommy Simsek said in a media release.

“Ross will still need to undergo a medical procedure on his eye to remove the pterygium before it gets any larger. He’ll have surgery following the Pakistan Test which rule him out of cricket for four-to-six weeks.”

Published in Dawn November 24th, 2016