AUCKLAND: Record-breaking former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has announced he will retire from international cricket after the third and final Test against England next month.

New Zealand's premier batsman believed it would be better for his family if he quit before the return tour to England in May and June.

Fleming, New Zealand's most experienced Test player and leading run-scorer, stepped away from one-day matches after last year's World Cup and said then that he would soon retire from all international cricket.