File
Pakistan captain Inzamam ui haq celebrates his century at Sabina Park during Pakistan versus West Indies on June 6, 2005.

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP):

Inzamam-ul-Haq announced yesterday he will retire from Test cricket after playing the second Test against South Africa next week.

"It was a difficult decision to make, but the youngsters are playing good and I have decided it's better to leave," Inzamam told reporters.

"I don't want the youngsters to be under pressure with my presence in the dressing room."

Inzamam, 37, retired from One-Day Internationals after Pakistan's shocking first round exit from the World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year, but did not quit Test cricket.

Since then he played three first class matches for English county Yorkshire - scoring just one half century. He expressed his unavailability to the selectors for the first Test against South Africa.

"Lahore Test will be my last Test match and I have told the selectors that I am available," Inzamam said.

378 One-Day Internationals

The burly batsman from the city of saints - Multan - needs a further 20 runs to break Javed Miandad's Pakistan record of 8,832 Test runs. He has played 119 Test matches and has scored 8,813 runs with 25 centuries.

He also played 378 One-Day Internationals and scored 11,739 runs - only one of the seven batsmen to score more than 10,000 runs in the 50-over game.

"It's not a moment to cherish that I will break Miandad's Test record at Lahore, he's someone from whom I've learnt a lot," Inzamam said.

"Had it been a world record then it could have been a happy moment for me and a big honour for me."

Inzamam said he felt he could have played for another year and a half, but planned to say goodbye to Test cricket in Pakistan.

"I just wanted to play the last Test match in my own country so I decided it's better to be the one at Lahore," he said.

Inzamam named Pakistan's 1992 World Cup win and a one-wicket win against Bangladesh when he scored an unbeaten century in his hometown Test four years ago as his most memorable moments.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is planning a ceremony at the end of Lahore Test, beginning from Monday.

"Inzamam has set up a very good tradition (of announcing retirement) which we have not witnessed in Pakistan cricket too often," PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said. "He met me couple of days ago and informed about his future plans and we agree with him.

"Inzamam's 17 centuries in Test matches are the match-winning ones and it's enough to speak about his greatness," Ashraf added.

Inzamam has weathered difficult times in his 15-year Test career that started against England at Birmingham in 1992. Most notably he led the forfeit of a Test at The Oval last year in a ball tampering dispute with Australian umpire Darrell Hair.

Inzamam led Pakistan in 31 Tests between 2000-07 with a record of 11 victories, 11 defeats and nine draws.