WEST INDIES captain Richie Richardson said yesterday he would retire from international cricket at the end of the World Cup. The 34-year-old batsman, who took over from Viv Richards in 1991, sent a fax from Jaipur in India to the Caribbean News Agency (CANA), saying he had already informed the West Indies Cricket Board of control of his decision.

"I had made up my mind at the end of the UK tour last summer that I would retire at the end of the World Cup," Richardson said.

During the past year Richardson has come under criticism for a lack of firm leadership and his side has suffered some painful defeats, culminating in the humiliation of a 73-run rout by Kenya in the World Cup last week.

Last April, West Indies lost their first Test series for 15 years when Australia beat them 2-1 in the Caribbean. They went on to draw a series in England but the tour was dogged by problems of indiscipline and conflict between Richardson and record-holding batsman Brian Lara.