AUCKLAND, April 5: New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns will retire from Test cricket after the tour of England this year. Cairns, who turns 34 in June, became the sixth player to score 3,000 Test runs and take 200 wickets in the drawn series against South Africa last month.

"First and foremost, I felt it was time that I spent more time with my family," Cairns said in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket on Monday. Cairns was the second fastest cricketer to reach the 3,000-200 landmark after England's Ian Botham.

He passed 3,000 runs while scoring 158 in the second Test win over South Africa, his 58th Test, then took his 200th wicket when Nicky Boje edged a catch to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum. To date, Cairns has scored 3,160 runs at 33.97 in his 59 Tests and taken 206 wickets at an average 29.27. -Reuters