Feb 2, 0130 GMT: Australian Test captain Mark Taylor announced his retirement from international cricket today.

The announcement was made at a Sydney press conference at 12 midday today (0100 GMT). Taylor will continue to play first-class cricket for New South Wales.

Taylor, who was Australian Test captain since the retirement of Allan Border in 1994, winning 11 out of 14 series as skipper, said that he achieved more than he ever thought he would out of the game. He said he did not feel sad about leaving. He further said that he had made up his mind to retire last week.

ACB chairman Denis Rogers was also present at the press conference. He refuted suggestions in the media that Taylor was in some way holding out for a better deal.

When asked who he thought should be the next Australian captain, Taylor said jokingly ``One of the current players.'' He did go on to mention the names of Steve Waugh, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh, but said he wanted to stay right out of the selection process.

Mark Taylor played his first Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 26, 1989 against the West Indies. His final Test ended on the same ground against England on January 5, 1999. In between he played 104 Tests, and made 19 centuries, the largest of which was 334 not out against Pakistan at Peshawar last year, equalling Sir Donald Bradman's record for the highest Test score by an Australian. His 7525 runs at 43.49 is second among Australian batsmen only to Allan Border.

His 157 Test catches beat Border's previous world record for a non-wicketkeeper by one, but in only two-third of the number of Tests.

Taylor captained Australia in 50 Tests, winning 26 losing 13 and drawing 11. He lost only three series as captain (in Pakistan 1994/95, in India 1996/97, in India 1997/98).

His successor as captain will be known when the Australian Cricket Board choose a captain and vice-captain for the West Indian tour are announced on February 12. Before that, the touring party, the first without Taylor in over a decade, to go to the West Indies will be named on February 8.

Written for CricInfo by Rick Eyre (rick@cricinfo.com)