The New Zealand’s most successful former skipper Stephen Fleming has decided to call it quits form the international cricket after the third and final Test against England next month.
The country's leading batsman announced his retirement on Thursday and said that he would be retiring for the betterment of his family, as it would be good if he quits before England’s tour that is scheduled later in May and June.
New Zealand's most experienced Test player and leading run-getter had already retired from the one-day format of the game after last year's World Cup. Fleming told a press conference in Auckland that this is the right time for me and my family to do that.
"It will also give me time to be with wife Kelly for the birth of our second child and I'm excited about pursuing new business ventures."
However, Fleming also made it clear that he would be available for the much-famed Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition slated to start in April. The auction of the players for the tournament will take place on February 20.
The 34 year-old Fleming bids adieu to the international cricket after having played more than one Hundred Tests (108) than any other New Zealander. He has got all the records in his name as he had scored the most runs (6,875), taken the most catches (166), captained the most games (80), and led the side to the most wins (28).
Though Fleming only scored nine centuries in his illustrious Test career, but he scored 43 half-centuries for a Test average of 39.73 in his entire Test career. Fleming also played 280 One-day internationals after making his debut way back in 1994 and also led the New Zealand side 218 times.
Apart from representing his country, Fleming had also played county cricket for Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, who he led to the county championship in 2005.
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