Cricket: Ross Taylor to see eye specialist after vision concerns

Senior New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor is to see an eye specialist as concern grows over his vision in his left eye.

Taylor didn't come out to bat in his usual No 4 spot at the end of New Zealand's win over Pakistan in Christchurch today.

Coach Mike Hesson confirmed Taylor had an eye test on the first day of the test ''and it certainly showed he needed to see a specialist.

''He's seeing him tomorrow (Monday) so we'll make a call after that," he added in relation to the second test starting in Hamilton on Friday.

Hesson said Taylor had had trouble with the eye for the last year or so but pointed out he ''had an annual checkup, got some eyedrops and scored 290 in his next game (the test in Perth against Australia in November)."

''It appears to have deteriorated a little bit. Ross had his (regular check) six months ago and there were no issues at all. So it might have come a little quicker than we'd like," Hesson added.

Captain Kane Williamson, who is the only current player with a better test average than Taylor's 45.95 from 77 tests, said he understood it had been a gradual change rather than sudden in terms of Taylor's vision.

''There's a growth that's come across a little bit. It's been fine for a long time but it's part and parcel for any human being. You do different tests, you want to make sure things are all in order."

Taylor, 32, has been in a form slump for some time, with just 103 runs in his last 10 test innings. He's scored 15 test hundreds, more than any New Zealand batsman, other than his mentor Martin Crowe's 17.