Citing his age, 37, and a series of injuries that kept him out of South Africa's recent international matches, Wessels said Tuesday it was time to scale back his participation.
"When one gets to my age you've got to start looking ahead," he said. "There has to be a time when one says 'enough'."
With Wessels as captain, South Africa made a successful return to international cricket in 1991 after being banned for two decades because of apartheid. South Africa reached the semifinals of the World Cup in 1992 and won or drew every Test series under Wessels, except for a loss in a one-off Test to the West Indies.
He stepped down as captain last month and South Africa lost to New Zealand in the first Test it played under new skipper, Hansie Cronje. Since then, knee trouble and a broken nose, with accompanying sinus problems, have bothered him.
"In simple terms, he has a gut feeling that the time is right for him to retire from Test cricket," said Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board.
Wessels plans to continue playing provincial cricket for Eastern Province in South Africa.
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