Michael Vaughan

England's most successful Test cricket captain Michael Vaughan will announce his retirement from Test and first-class cricket this week.

Vaughan, 34, is understood to have made his decision because his right knee makes it impossible for him to field all day and because he does not want to block the progress of some promising young batsmen in Yorkshire's side, The Telegraph reported Sunday.

Vaughan resigned as England's captain last August after beating the previous English record of 20 Test wins by Peter May.

He had hoped to regain his England place this summer to have another go at regaining the Ashes, as he did when leading England in 2005.

In a pre-season tournament in Abu Dhabi, Vaughan scored a century against Surrey, but the runs have refused to flow in sufficient quantity since. He has made starts in 20-over, 50-over and first-class cricket, but not another hundred, the report said.

His right knee, moreover, has prevented him from spending a complete day in the field this season. The condition flared up after the 2005 Ashes and kept him out of the England team for the sequel in Australia in 2006-7.

Vaughan played 82 Tests for England, and captained in 51 of them. He also played 86 one-day internationals, captaining in 60.

More dashing than the traditional top-order Yorkshire batsman, he hit a purple patch shortly before he took over from Nasser Hussain as England captain in 2003, and was never so prolific thereafter under the burden of captaincy. He finished with 5,719 Test runs at an average of 41 with 18 centuries.

As a captain he was renowned for keeping his cool under pressure, most notably in the 2005 series when his calmness and refusal to panic after Australia had won the opening Test at Lord's steered England to regaining the Ashes for the first time in 20 years.