Middle East and African cricket tour with a World Select XI which he is skippering.

The squad, who have played matches in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, are now preparing to play their final three fixtures before heading back to their home base of London.

Going into the final leg, the Select have played 17 matches in total, winning 12 and losing five.

Gibbons has played in 13 of the 17 matches to date and has scored a total of 446 runs while taking 28 wickets.

His best score was 83 against the league champions, Willows Cricket Club, in Soweto, South Africa. Among other good knocks was an undefeated 70 against an Under-25 team shortly after arriving in Zimbabwe and 66 against the national squad of UAE.

While scoring the 70 not out in Zimbabwe, Gibbons featured in an impressive fifth-wicket stand of 204 with his vice captain, Sanjay Manrakar of India.

Manrakar struck 114, marking his fourth century of the tour.

Gibbons' best bowling analysis has been five for 31 against a club team in UAE.

Yesterday Gibbons said that in addition to the exciting cricket he and his team-mates had experienced, there had been many highlights off the field including a visit to the prison in Soweto, where president Nelson Mandella was held for many years.

Among the highlights on the field were two day/night matches at the famous Sharjah Stadium in UAE.

"To visit that prison will always be a memorable trip for the boys, and to play those day/night matches on that ground was another tremendous highlight,'' said Gibbons.

The tour ends in Zimbabwe next Tuesday with most of the players returning to England and a few staying behind to attend a coaching course.