“He loves playing cricket for Somerset and I am sure that he would love to continue doing so but first and foremost he knows that his eye has got to be right”

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Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter will visit eye specialists in Belgium and the United States to find out whether or not his cricketing career is over.

Kieswetter suffered a horrific eye injury when he was hit in the face while playing for Somerset in a County Championship match against Northamptonshire. As a result of being hit, the 27-year-old suffered a broken nose and sustained severe damage to his eye socket and cheekbone.

After having surgery and recovering, Kieswetter decided to represent the Warriors in South Africa’s Ram Slam T20 Challenge. However, it was during that tournament that Kieswetter realised he still had vision problems.

Providing an update on Kieswetter, Somerset’s director of cricket Matthew Maynard said: “When he came back at the tail end of last season Craig knew that his eye wasn’t quite as good as it was prior to the injury.

“Then when he played in the Ram Slam T20 over in South Africa it became evident to Craig that the eye hadn’t improved from where it was at the end of the season so that’s obviously a concern for him.

“He will see an eye specialist in Belgium next week, as well as seeing a specialist in the USA. That will hopefully give some indication as to what will happen going forward.

“Craig has got a lot of years left as a top player but it is important that he makes sure he gets his vision looked after which is why he is seeing the best eye specialists in the world. Hopefully, that will give us a better understanding of the long-term prognosis.”

It is likely that Alex Barrow will don the keeping gloves for Somerset unless they bring in someone else.

“As a coach I have had to plan that we won’t see him for the summer,” Maynard said. “If the results from the specialists are positive and he feels that he is ready to resume his career before the end of the season then we would be delighted to have him back.

“Craig has to think quite selfishly at this stage about what’s best for him. He loves playing cricket for Somerset and I am sure that he would love to continue doing so but first and foremost he knows that his eye has got to be right.”