Gibbs's 309 scalps held the world record for wickets in a test career for most of the 1970s and 1980s. Now living in the US, local officials and cricketers were keen to honour him on his visit to the country to coincide with the World Cup.

His old Demerara club, which also produced Clive Lloyd, Roy Fredericks and Roger Harper, was filled with old friends and dignitaries, including the Guyanese prime minister and the Lord Mayor of Georgetown.

The photos on the wall brought back memories of a former CYM professional Will White, now in the US, and Mark Harper, who once scored 1,000 runs in a month in the North-West.

The West Indian spin king took time out to impart a few tricks to Ireland spinners Kyle McCallan and Andrew White, while assistant coach Matt Dwyer . . . himself a tweaker of renown . . . looked on in awe.

Gibbs showed them the grotesquely enlarged knuckle where he gripped the ball and told how it would bleed during long spells.

How long can it be before we have a Matt Dwyer Street in Skerries?

The ICC have been strict on logos of companies that don't pay for the privilege of being Global Partners to the organisation. RTE reporter Robbie Irwin came across their tough stance when he was trying to film some Irish supporters outside Sabina Park for a piece last week.

The supporters were clustered around the competition's mascot Mello, an eight-foot-tall meerkat, but a stroppy official spotted one fan wearing an Ireland international soccer shirt and objected to Umbro manufacturers' logo.

The indefatigable Irwin dodged the ICC crew again this week when he got out to the middle of the Providence stadium to film a rare interview with top umpire Steve Bucknor.

Bucknor was delighted to meet and talk to some Irish people and revealed to Inside Edge that he absolutely loved the song 'When Irish eyes are smiling', which he learned back in school in Jamaica.

There won't have been many eyes smiling at one leading Irish firm these past few weeks. The company was offered the opportunity to have their name on the Irish players' sleeves, a prime spot facing down the wicket.

As little as �5,000 would have given them nine games in front of the world with a total audience of billions. However, the firm preferred to sponsor a different sporting event.

No disrespect to another minority sport, but I suspect a junior rowing event won't quite draw that audience.

THE Irish players were a bit unhappy with their lodgings here in Georgetown when they first arrived.

The Cara Lodge is a fine boutique hotel, but it does not possess a pool or exercise room which is a must for modern sports teams.

The hotel is owned by a pair of Irishmen, Shaun McGrath, from Letterkenny, Co Donegal and Dubliner Paul Stephenson, and they have laid on a great welcome for the squad complete with a 'Cead Mile Failte' banner.

The Pakistan advance party selected the Cara Lodge because it was in a Muslim district and close to a mosque, and Ireland inherited their booking.

The small travelling party of reporters have been glad to have the services of a reliable local taxi driver, who glories in the name of Kenroy Jupiter.

'Redman', as he prefers to be known, is a third cousin of a former Trinity and Civil Service fast bowler, Dave Daniels, who left Guyana 20 years ago and now lives in New York.