Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali says he will quit test cricket after the third and final test against England which begins Saturday.

“It has been a great honor and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level,” the 37-year-old Azhar said Friday. “Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realized that this is the right time for me to retire from test cricket.”

Azhar, who made his test debut at Lord’s against Australia in 2010, played 96 test matches and scored 7,097 runs at an average of 42.49, including 19 centuries.

He finishes his career as Pakistan’s fifth-leading test run-getter behind Younis Khan (10,099 runs), Javed Miandad (8,832), Inzamam-ul-Haq (8,829) and Mohammad Yousuf (7,530).

“There are many people who I am grateful to in this strenuous, yet beautiful journey,” Azhar said as his voice broke. “I want to make a special mention of my family without whose sacrifices, I would not have been where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings, and children have been my strength throughout.”

Pakistan dropped Azhar from the second test against England last week because of his lack of form, but the middle-order batter said it had nothing to do with his decision to call it a day.