England batsman Nasser Hussain has hinted he may consider international retirement after guiding his side to a seven-wicket victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Lords on Monday.
The 36-year-old former captain scored an unbeaten 103 in the second innings to give England a lead in the three match series, but was quoted in Tuesday's media as saying he was set to make a decision about his Test future within the next two days.
"I've got to make some decisions in my life and I'll be making them in the next 24 to 48 hours," Hussain told The Times.
Despite needing just four more appearances to register 100 Test caps, Hussain revealed he was thinking about calling it a day because he did not want to stand in the way of younger batsmen, such as Andrew Strauss.
Brought into the side as opener for injured skipper Michael Vaughan, Strauss (112 and 83) made an assured entry into Test cricket and has given the selectors a problem before the second Test at Headingley on June 3.
"The last thing I want to do is hold anyone up in their career. I only want to play in a side and for a country that wants me to play," Hussain added.
"It was a very special day for me today and I'd hate to go out of the game just playing a few more games and getting by and seeing other people who have done well being left out.
"I'm certainly not going to do that. I'm just going to have to talk to some people in my life and come to a non-emotive decision about when would be a good time to call it a day."
Hussain added that thoughts of retirement were not new and that he had spoken to coach Duncan Fletcher about the matter on Sunday.
"I want to go away and speak to my Dad and my family about when would be a good time to call it a day. There are so many pluses and minuses," he added.
"I don't really want to go in the middle of a series. I want to beat the New Zealanders, but I don't want to see any young lad who got 200 in the game left out for me.
"I don't want to pre-empt the selectors, but I'm sure he won't be. I don't want to be hanging around and you've got to put in the equation what a special day today was.
"People have talked about me wanting to play 100 Tests, but other people have thrown that around. It was the same with the captaincy. The most important thing for me is to end on a high like I did with my captaincy so people look back and say, 'Yes, he was a good captain'.
"I want to do that as a player as well and it would be a great way to finish at the home of cricket."
