Darren Gough yesterday conceded defeat in his attempt to return to the pinnacle of world cricket with the announcement that he has retired from Tests.

Gough, 33 next month, has decided to retire from the Test arena due to a long-standing knee problem and will now focus on one-day internationals and his county career with Yorkshire.

He made a stunning return to the international arena during England's one-day successes this summer after 18 months of knee injury misery.

That persuaded both Gough himself and the England selectors that he was ready to feature in his first Test for two years in the opening match of the npower series with South Africa.

If Gough's performances in the limited-overs form of the game encouraged their belief that a right knee thrice operated on could sustain him over five days of a Test, however, the reality in back-to-back Tests at Edgbaston and Lord's proved a stark contrast.

Having entered the five-match series against South Africa to much fanfare from England supporters, he added only one wicket to the 228 he collected in his first 56 Tests and appeared only a shadow of the man who regularly clocked deliveries in excess of 90mph.

His determination to return and prove wrong the doubters who wrote off his career last winter drove him on - ultimately, however, the joint he damaged in New Zealand in the winter of 2001-02 could no longer take pounding into the crease up to 150 times a day.

''Every day is a hard one and my career is based on being a strike bowler and being the one the captain always turned to in time of need,'' he said.

''But I've found the last two matches hard going both mentally and physically - not just on playing days but also against the backdrop of the effort I've put in over the last eight months to get back to this stage.

"It has become apparent to me, no matter what my heart, head or the public want me to do, that my knee will not allow me to play Test match cricket.

''Obviously I'm sad, but I think every player knows when it's time to step down and I feel in order for me to concentrate on my dream of one-day cricket and possibly another World Cup for England and trying to help Yorkshire move forward, I have to retire from Test cricket.''

His wholehearted performances at the highest level earned him an affinity with fans up and down the country and such was the energy Gough exuded in an England shirt that the selectors gambled on him for the Ashes tour despite only one aborted first-class appearance for Yorkshire last season.

''I hope the public don't feel that, after 229 Test wickets and a body in bits, I've let them down,'' said Gough.

''I hope I've served England well.''

He finishes in eighth place in the all-time Test wicket-takers' list for England and chairman of selectors David Graveney paid tribute to his efforts, saying: ''He has been a brilliant talisman for the English team over the past decade.

''It has been unfortunate that his career has been blighted by injury and I am sure he would have moved higher up the all-time England wicket-taking list if he hadn't been so unlucky.

''He has always given nothing less than 100 per cent for his team and I am sure that he will be missed.

"But hopefully his form and fitness will still allow him to make a contribution to English cricket by continuing the outstanding form he has shown this summer in the one-day squad.''

When then chairman of selectors Ray Illingworth plumped for his fellow Yorkshireman in the summer of 1994, his selection was a surprise.

But a wicket with his sixth ball in international cricket, one which fizzed to slip off New Zealander Martin Crowe's bat at Edgbaston, announced his arrival.

''Nobody had heard of him south of Nottingham,'' said Illingworth. ''But I will never forget his first couple of overs for England, I just sat there and thought 'we've got something here'."

The strike bowler should be back in action for the Tykes in the championship at Scarborough next week when they need to beat leaders Worcestershire to get their push for promotion back on track.

And Geoff Cope, the county's director of cricket, made it clear yesterday that the 32-year-old strike bowler still has a big future with the club.

"Darren misses this game because he wants to be with his family after what has been a very difficult time for him," said Cope.

"As for his future, he will certainly be welcomed back. He still has a major part to play for us and he can be a big help in trying to win promotion.

"There can be no doubt that Darren has been a tremendous servant of English cricket.

"He has been England's leading bowler for many years and his record speaks for itself.

"Had injuries not hit him on so many occasions I feel sure that he would have taken far more than 229 wickets for England and finished higher than the country's eighth leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.