Kirsten will gain his 100th Test cap this week

The 36-year-old left-hander is due to win his 100th Test cap in the second Test against the Kiwis this week.

He will retire as South Africa's most prolific Test batsman with a total of 7,210 runs at an average of 45.92.

Kirsten scored his 21st hundred in the drawn first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton to put him 15th on the all time list of Test century makers.

He made his international debut on the 1993-94 tour of Australia and quickly established himself as a gritty batsman with huge powers of concentration.

Only Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara of current players have scored more than his 21 Test centuries and surpassed his career aggregate of Test runs.

In October 2002, Kirsten became the first batsman to score a century against all nine other Test playing nations when he scored 160 against Bangladesh in East London.

It has always been a massive honour to play for South Africa and I have enjoyed every moment Gary Kirsten

He was also a regular in South Africa's one-day team before retiring after last year's World Cup, having played in 185 matches.

Kirsten said: "It is a sad and emotional moment for me. I have been extremely fortunate to have had the privilege of playing for my country for so long.

"It has always been a massive honour to play for South Africa and I have enjoyed every moment."

Kirsten, who has been contracted on a Test-match only basis for the past year, said he had intended to retire earlier but decided to carry on in a bid to win his 100th cap.

He has yet to make a decision on whether he will continue to play first class cricket.

KIRSTEN FACTFILE Born: Cape Town, 23/11/1967 Tests: 99 7210 runs, ave 45.92, high 275 2 wkts, ave 71.00, best 1-0 ODIs: 185 6798 runs, ave 40.95, high 188*

The South African cricket board thanked Kirsten for his loyal service to the team over the last 11 years.

"His records might well be broken, but they are there so history can record for posterity his outstanding achievements at all levels of the game," said chief executive Gerald Majola.

"But statistics do not tell the whole story as they cannot record the manner in which he achieved these feats with sheer guts and an absolute determinations to give of his best."