New Zealand

'I'm going to enjoy watching the young guys have a crack'

After 13 years of international cricket, why have you chosen now to retire?

I think I've probably known for a good six to twelve months that the passion and desire wasn't quite there and it was time to get out. I did want to get out by walking off the park in a Test match, so I stuck in there and gave that a good nudge, but the odds are that a 38-year-old around New Zealand's bowling group at the moment isn't really required. I'm going to sit back and enjoy watching the young guys have a crack.

Do you feel you're leaving with the pace stocks as strong as at any time in your career, with guys like Southee, Boult and Bracewell all coming through?

Yeah, and it's nice to see a group of bowlers coming through. Watching the good sides over the years, they tend to have a pack, a nice steady rotation of guys that can put pressure on each other to succeed and complement each other. I think Australia showed that with various people around Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, they had guys like Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz and Brett Lee, and New Zealand, in general, have had a bit of a revolving door of pace bowlers over the years. I'm probably the only one who really stuck it out for any length of time. But I'd like to see this group play together for another six to eight years, it would certainly make the captain's job a lot easier.

Only Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori have taken more Test wickets for New Zealand than you. That must make you incredibly proud?

I am pretty pleased. I was never the most skillful or naturally talented, but I did have enough skill and enough talent, and with hard work and determination I was able to stick in there and prove to myself that Test cricket was something that I was good at and enjoyed. I'm pleased to be on the table among some of our better players with the ball.

Is there a career highlight that sticks out?

I had a good Test match comeback against South Africa at Eden Park, where I got 11 for the match. We ended up with a Test win, which for New Zealand is pretty few and far between. It's never about that personal stuff, but if that helps us win a game then it definitely sticks in the memory. I had another game against India in India a couple of years ago when I got a five-for in a short space of time. I will remember that very fondly, because that's not a place you go to as a fast bowler and expect to do well.

You were getting some terrific swing in that match in Ahmedabad - that must have been a rarity for Indian conditions?

It's a bit strange with the balls these days, sometimes you turn up and the ball just does crazy things and you're not actually doing that much different. If it hoops, then you've got to make hay when that happens.

Your record against South Africa was especially impressive, and against Graeme Smith, in particular. What was it about bowling to them that you enjoyed?

My style of bowling, bringing the ball back into some of their right-handers with their forward press, was helpful, as well as straightening the odd one for the edge. To the left-handers, in particular, I've always swung the ball from the stump line away from them. Smith, with the way he plays and closes the bat, he found me pretty tough to handle at times. Mentally you have to bring your A-game against the South Africans, because they're such hard-nosed competitors. They had the better of us on most occasions, but every now and then personally I had good days against them.