Nottinghamshire captain Stephen Fleming has taken a step closer to ending his cricketing career after retiring from One-day Internationals with New Zealand.

The 34-year-old had stepped down from the one-day captaincy at the end of the World Cup but has now decided to focus solely on Test cricket - and also hinted that his retirement from the longer form of the game was not far away.

Having informed New Zealand Cricket of his decision, Fleming has also been replaced as Test captain by former Notts spinner Daniel Vettori, who is currently leading the side in the ICC World Twenty20 and will now be in charge when they tour South Africa in November.

Fleming said: “I’m fully committed to New Zealand but feel the time is right for me to retire from the one-day game.

“While I would have wished to remain captain of the Test team, I can also understand why the selectors prefer to have a single captain for the Test, one-day and Twenty20 teams.

“I hold Daniel Vettori in high regard and will support him fully in his transition as Test captain.

"The tour to South Africa will be a real challenge. No New Zealand team has ever won a Test series there and I am looking forward to the tour.

“I shall continue playing Tests as long as I have the desire and skills required to contribute. However, it is likely that the coming New Zealand summer will be my last home series.”

Fleming holds the New Zealand record for the most Test caps with 104 so far, and led the Black Caps for 10 years over the course of 80 Tests.

He is likely to return to Trent Bridge next year when New Zealand take on England in the npower Test series, in what could prove to be his farewell tour.