From the moment he came into the Ireland team, away to Holland in 1974, to the conclusion of his international career at Welshpool on a rainy day tinged with sadness in 1987, anyone who came into contact with Simon Corlett, friend or foe alike, can have had nothing but respect and admiration for his dedication and professionalism as a cricketer.

Malawi-born Corlett took great pride in playing for Ireland and never produced anything less than his very best. Whether he was bowling to take wickets, batting to win or save matches, or dashing about the field to get under lofted shots or to prevent the ball from reaching the boundary, Corlett gave of his heart and soul for Ireland's cause.

Over his 14 seasons on the international team Corlett was easily the fittest of all the players of that period, as energetic at the end of the day and at the finish of his career as he had been in the beginning, still as combative (he was not called 'The Growler' for nothing) and as resolute as anyone on the field. He was the type of athlete Brian Clough would love to have in a squad: he drank not at all at the outset of his Ireland career and only very moderately at the close; if he ever was the cause of heartburn for the side's different managers over the years it was a well-kept secret. Good behaviour medals he would have scooped up by the handful.

From the time he came to work in Belfast in the early 1970s there was never any doubt that he would soon play for Ireland - his performances for Oxford University and in his early NCU matches assured that. A change of pace (from off-spinners to quickies) and of club (from CIYMS to NICC) did nothing to harm his prospects.

When he first came into the team he must have wondered what sort of set-up he was joining. For two away matches that season, against Scotland at Ayr and Wales at Colwyn Bay, Ireland journeyed by boat and car - ICU finances were so depressed at the time as to rule out travel of a more extravagant manner - but a more satisfactory approach was soon possible in the build-up to all of Ireland's fixtures and Corlett, indeed all of the players, freed from wearisome hours on road and sea, availed of the improvement in travel arrangements to give correspondingly improved performances on the field of play.

Very often was he to prove the man of the match and, even when he wasn't so honoured, very seldom did he still not make some telling contribution to the proceedings. Against Denmark at Ringsted in 1975 Corlett claimed seven wickets for 69 runs in 24 overs, and in another even more gargantuan effort seven for 82 in 42 overs against Scotland in Edinburgh in 1982. In the first innings of a two-day match against Surrey at Rathmines in 1979 he captured five for 33 in 19 overs.

Corlett accomplished his 100th wicket for Ireland when trapping Hamish More lbw in the Freddie Millett fixture at Ormeau in 1979. He became only the ninth bowler to reach this landmark and his three-figure tally was achieved in 44 innings, six more than the fastest of all to the century mark, Bill Harrington, who came out of Clongowes to dismiss 100 batsmen in 38 innings in the early 1900s.

In the NatWest tie against Sussex at Hove three years ago, Corlett scalped his 200th victim to become only the fourth Ireland bowler overall to gain such a distinction. It was his 55th international appearance. In all, Corlett played 73 times for Ireland and finished up with 233 wickets at an impressive average of 23.12. Among his 1045 runs were four half-centuries and many valuable knocks, marked by aggression or restraint, whichever was the tactical requirement of the time.

A glance at the calibre of some of the batsmen Corlett dismissed during his distinguished reign on the Ireland team gives an indication of the quality of his bowling: Gordon Greenidge, Faoud Bacchus, Roy Marshall, Laurence Rowe, Malcolm Marshall, Wayne Larkins, Geoff Cook, Chris Broad, Paul Parker, David Smith, Zaheer Abbas, Younis Ahmed, Manzoor Elahi, Asif Mujtaba, Ramiz Raja, Geoff Howarth and other stars all fell to his devastating combination of pace and swerve, accuracy and length.

That he maintained a very high standard right to the end, a premature end many would argue, is illustrated by his contribution to a record eighth-wicket stand of 150 with Junior McBrine against Scotland at Coleraine last season when also his ability to contain rampant Sussex batsmen to fiVe runs off his final over, when they needed seven, secured Ireland a nail-biting draw at Malahide.

For all his versatile ability and experience, Corlett was never too big not to heed adviceadvice when proffered. He was always a thoughtful listener. After a NatWest match at Castle Avenue when national coach Noel Mahony presented him with a chart detailing that the 60 or so runs taken off his 12 overs had been scored almost equally each side of the wicket he studied it closely and came back later in the day and said: 'You know, Noel, while I did not realise it, I have not been bowling as well as I should be to my field:'.

So rich was his talent and commitment that had Corlett been a full-time cricketer in England he would have graced the county scene for as many years as he played for Ireland. Cross-channel umpires who have stood in our matches, both in this country and across the water and have seen him in flowing action, have been of one opinion on this.

There must even be speculation, as also in the case of Dermot Monteith and Alec O'Riordan, that he would have been good enough to represent England. While there is sadness at his going the good news is that Corlett will not be entirely lost to Irish cricket. He has already become involved in coaching. Yet, I fear it would be expecting too much even of his exceptional talents and perception that he should be associated with the grooming of some youngster who would one day adequately fill his shoes. Monteith said it best: 'With Simon in your team nothing is impossible. The man is irreplaceable'.