Cricket: Ross Taylor still a NZ T20 option despite abscence

Ross Taylor. Photo / Getty

Ross Taylor's days as an international T20 batsman are not necessarily over, despite his omission from the squad to play South Africa in their one-off clash at Eden Park next Friday.

New Zealand's most senior batsman was left out of the 14 but national selector Gavin Larsen wasn't about to call time on Taylor's T20 international career today.

''We're not going to say that. We have picked what we believe is our best T20 team," Larsen said.

''Against Bangladesh (last month) we had Colin Munro, Tom Bruce and Corey Anderson all stand up at different times and prove to everybody what powerful, explosive T20 players they are."

Munro slammed 101 off just 54 balls at Mount Maunganui in the second game of that series last month, the same day the tall, clean striking Bruce hit an unbeaten 59 off 39 balls; while Anderson boomed an unbeaten 94 off 41 balls in the final game at the same ground two days later.

They would occupy the same position Taylor would fill if he had been picked.

Taylor's last T20 international involvement was in the world tournament in India last March, when he totalled 91 off 80 balls in five innings, albeit in far more difficult batting conditions.

Taylor will play the warmup T20 match against South Africa on Tuesday but essentially to have a look at the South African bowlers ahead of the ODI and test series.