Pakistan fixing claims no surprise to Paul Farbrace

Farbrace took over from Graham Ford as coach for the 2010 season

Former Sri Lanka assistant coach Paul Farbrace has said he was not surprised to learn of the alleged spot-fixing claims involving Pakistani cricketers.

"I'd love to say I was [surprised] but unfortunately I wasn't - it's something that's concerned people for quite some time," Farbrace told BBC Radio Kent.

"I don't necessarily mean the accusations against the Pakistan team.

"But this sort of thing really starts to bring it to a head and it's very very sad for the game of cricket."

Three of the Pakistan cricketers under scrutiny for claims of spot-fixing could miss the remainder of the tour against England, which features two Twenty20 matches and five one-day games.

Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are due to attend an inquiry headed by the Pakistan Cricket Board in London on Thursday.

I look back to some of the very close matches we had and start to think maybe there were one or two things that weren't quite right about those games

Paul Farbrace

But Farbrace - who is now in charge of Kent after leaving his post with Sri-Lanka last year - thinks the remaining games should still be played for the sake of the sport.

"Personally I'd love to see the series go ahead because if we stop playing cricket we're almost giving in to some of the sad things that are going on," he said.

"But there has to be a thought that perhaps it could be a hollow series.

"The end of the Test match the other day was almost a hollow celebration for the England team because of what has gone on."

He continued: "I feel sorry for people who paid good money to go and watch the Test match at Lord's.

"They quite rightly would feel harshly treated. It's not cheap to go and watch international cricket and then you read the next day that maybe all was not well in that game.

"I think that's what will have a massive hard hit on the game of cricket."

Farbrace also admitted the whole episode had made him wonder whether some of the results Sri Lanka achieved against Pakistan were genuine.

"I look back to some of the very close matches we had and I start to think maybe there were one or two things that weren't quite right about those games," Farbrace added.

"Automatically you can't help but be suspicious of certain things."