Wagner, 37, made the emotional decision following a tough conversation with coach Gary Stead last week where it was confirmed he was not in New Zealand’s best XI for the upcoming series against Australia.

He announced his retirement at a press conference alongside Stead at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Tuesday having been invited to be part of the squad for the first Test.

Wagner retires after 64 Tests for his adopted country having moved across from South Africa. He took 260 wickets at 27.57 with a strike-rate of just 52.7. Only Sir Richard Hadlee has a better Test strike-rate among New Zealand bowlers to have taken more than 100 wickets.

Wagner will continue to play first-class cricket but felt like the time was right to step away from the Test arena.

“I knew the time was coming near,” Wagner said. “They sometimes say when you think about retirement, you’re screwed in a way. I knew the time was going to come and it was going to come close. In the last week, reflecting and looking into the future, looking at the Test matches that are to come, I thought it was the right time to step down and let the other guys come in and do what we’ve been doing as a group for a number of years and obviously grow that attack. It’s never easy. It’s an emotional road. It’s a big roller coaster, but it’s something that I feel like the time to come in to pass that baton on and leave that Black Cap in a good place for the rest to take it and hopefully grow their legacy forward.”