Taylor returns with CD

Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor will return to cricket with the Central Stags tomorrow, four weeks after having surgery to remove a pterygium from his left eye.

He is one of two new faces in the Stags’ squad for their Mcdonald’s Super Smash games against the Auckland Aces and the Canterbury Kings in New Plymouth, joined by Australian quick bowler Luke Feldman, who provides cover for Ben Wheeler, who has joined the Black Caps one-day squad in Nelson.

Taylor’s eye problems were first revealed after the Black Caps’ first test against Pakistan last month. After consulting with two specialists, he decided he would play the second test - where he scored a century - but then have surgery immediately afterwards.

That ruled him out of the Chappell-hadlee one-day series against Australia that followed,

"It's great to have Ross back in the mix." Stags coach Heinrich Malan

and which the Black Caps lost 3-0, and out of the one-day series against Bangladesh which began on Boxing Day.

While the Stags currently sit at the top of the Super Smash table, they have had to do battle with a depleted bowling attack for most of the season, with Adam Milne, Andrew Mathieson, Bevan Small and Doug Bracewell all unavailable due to injury.

With Wheeler now gone too, but for better reasons, they have turned to Feldman, who plays for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

‘‘When you consider the number of quality bowlers currently out due to injury, and you add to that Wheeler, who has joined the Black Caps, then you can see why we have had to bring Luke into the squad,’’ said coach Heinrich Malan.

‘‘We are entering a critical point in the competition – we have three rounds left to play, and there are still a number of teams in contention. We want to make sure that we continue to be competitive, and give ourselves the best possible chance of qualifying for the finals.’’

The Stags are also set to lose big-hitting batsman Tom Bruce next week, when he joins Wheeler and the Black Caps for their three Twenty20 matches against Bangladesh.

Taylor wasn’t included in that

squad, despite being ready to play, a decision selector Gavin Larsen said was ‘‘performance related’’.

The Stags won’t mind, however, as his availability for them will go

some way to offsetting the loss of Bruce, who has been one of the Super Smash’s standouts.

‘‘It’s great to have Ross back in the mix,’’ said Malan.

‘‘His experience and skill will add another dimension to our team, and his presence in the dressing room, as we enter the final phase of this competition,

will be invaluable.’’

Taylor should make his return to the Black Caps for the first test against Bangladesh at the Basin Reserve, on January 12.