Waqar Younis calls it a day

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis retired from cricket on Tuesday, ending a 15-year career in which he took 373 Test wickets.

Waqar, 32, was sacked as captain and dropped from the team after last year's World Cup in which Pakistan failed to qualify for the second stage of the tournament.

"I announce my retirement from all sorts of cricket," Waqar told a news conference on Monday. "I could've played cricket for another year, but I've lost the hunger.

"So, I decided with my wife and family that it was time to call it quits."

Waqar, who also took 416 wickets in 262 One-Day Internationals, was last year offered a benefit match against South Africa by the Pakistan Cricket Board but he declined saying he wanted to make an international comeback.

Waqar played domestic cricket in a bid to return for the series against India, but was not picked.

While he formed one of the most lethal fast bowling combinations ever with left-arm paceman Wasim Akram, who retired last year, their personal relationship was fraught, though Waqar played that down on Monday.

"I think our rivalry was healthy for Pakistan," he said. "More than 50 per cent of my wickets came because of Wasim at the other end. He was a big help and shared a lot of burden."

Waqar, known for his prodigious reverse-swing, said he had several regrets, one of them leading a player revolt against former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad, who was fired in 1993.

Waqar added that he was disappointed to have failed in World Cup tournaments.

After missing the 1992 World Cup, which Pakistan won, because of a stress fracture in his back, he was taken apart by Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja as Pakistan lost the quarter-final in 1996 while in 1999, he played just one game against Bangladesh as Shoaib Akhtar upstaged him in leading Pakistan to the final.

He said had not decided on his future career but would remain in cricket.

"I'll see what the Board has in mind. But my second innings will be related to cricket, either as coach or commentator."

(Additional reporting by Abdul Waheed)