By Matthew Allen BBC Sport

England fast bowler Andrew Caddick has joined a growing list of players who have quit one form of the game in order to prolong their international careers.

The 34-year-old followed the example of his captain Nasser Hussain by quitting one-day internationals to concentrate on Test cricket after the World Cup.

Caddick feels the strain of international cricket

South Africans Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes and Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath turned their backs on Test cricket to keep their ageing limbs fresh for the World Cup.

And Donald predicted more players would follow suit after his former team-mate Gary Kirsten recently decided to play only in Tests.

"Gary Kirsten wants to focus on playing a couple more years of Test cricket and there are a couple of other guys thinking along the same lines," Donald told BBC Sport.

"We will see more and more of this in future because the fixture lists are so ridiculous."

Caddick said he wants to make way for younger players as England start to look towards the next World Cup in 2007.

But he also knows he has only got so much left in the tank and will struggle to cope with the congested international fixture lists in both Tests and one-day internationals.

"It's been solid for the last 12 months. It's been mentally draining as well as physically draining," he said after playing in the Champions Trophy tournament, Ashes series and World Cup over the winter.

HAVE YOUR SAY Caddick's been a great servant for our country and by continuing in the Test side, he can give plenty more Michael Gundy, England Join the debate

"It was the longest tour and the toughest tour that I have ever been on. I'm getting on a bit now with a few more grey hairs.

"To go from the Ashes series straight into the World Cup I thought was ludicrous. We did need a break in between, but unfortunately that did not happen.

"International teams are playing a lot more cricket, and so winters will be a lot longer for the players."

Caddick has played more than 200 first class matches and a similar number of one-day games since his career began in 1991.

And he has put his body on the line for England in 62 Tests and 54 limited-overs internationals.

The strain the domestic and international calendar puts on players was never more aptly illustrated in Australia when barely a day seemed to go by without an England player breaking down.

Caddick himself was forced to miss the third Test after picking up a side strain.

Fixture congestion is resulting in ever-shorter international careers, with players over the age of 35 constantly being asked when they are going to retire.

But Caddick and some of his fellow senior pros have found a way to beat the fixture congestion and Father Time by opting to halve their work loads.