Oram ends New Zealand Test career

Oram has over 2,000 runs and 130-plus wickets to his name in ODIs

Injury-plagued New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram has confirmed his retirement from Test cricket.

The 31-year-old has quit the long form of the game in an effort to prolong his international career in the shorter versions of the game.

He will remain available for Twenty20 and one-day internationals.

"This decision has been a very tough one and has not been made without careful consideration and discussion with those closest to me," said Oram.

"The last few years have shown that my body cannot handle the strains and stresses that come with being an all-rounder, playing all three formats for up to 10 months a year.

"For the sake of longevity I have had to make a decision that will decrease my workload, so I can concentrate all my efforts on the shorter forms of the game."

Oram said that aside from injuries, the pending arrival of his first child next month and a chance to spend more time with his family were factors in his decision.

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"I have attempted to delay any decision about my future career path for some time now," he added.

"However, in light of my latest injury at the Champions Trophy it has became clear to me that now is the time to sacrifice something to try and stay in the game longer.

"I am hoping this decision extends my career. I do not want to put an exact time frame on that, as I have learnt that sometimes my body and my mind are on different wavelengths."

Oram, who plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, said he was hoping to feature at the ICC World Cup in 2011.

The 6ft 6in medium pace bowler and left-hand batsman has a history with injuries restricting his appearances for New Zealand since his debut in 2002.

He has suffered from various back ailments, fractures to his fingers as well as Achilles and calf muscle problems and last month failed to make it to the Champions Trophy in South Africa after straining his hamstring in training.

He said he would leave the Test arena with some regrets after only featuring in 33 Tests since his debut in 2002.

"I have really enjoyed my Test career and I leave that format with many fond memories. I would be lying if I said I had no regrets, however these feelings were not powerful enough to make me reconsider this decision."

Oram scored 1,780 Test runs at an average of 36.3, including five centuries, and picked up 60 wickets at an average of 33.

New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan said he understood the decision for Oram to cut back on his workload. "Jacob has made a tremendous contribution to our Test team over the past seven seasons, and his experience will be missed," said Vaughan.

"But we fully understand the difficulties he has faced with injuries - and we hope this decision will help him prolong his playing career."

Oram will remain on a contract with NZ Cricket but will slide down the ranking list.