Mathews denies ex-coach Farbrace's 'inside information' on Lanka will help England

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has denied that their former coach Paul Farbrace would be able to provide inside information during the forthcoming series between England and Sri Lanka.

Farbrace's departure last month to become Peter Moores' primary assistant with England caused controversy, with Sri Lanka initially reluctant to release the former Kent and Middlesex wicketkeeper from the remaining 18 months of his contract.

According to The Guardian, Farbrace eventually left and now finds himself in the position of preparing England to face Sri Lanka for their first series under new management, with one-day, Twenty20 and Test matches beginning with a T20 at The Oval on 20 May.

Mathews admitted that some were disappointed at the departure of Farbrace, who they said excelled at man-management and was able to instill confidence within the team, although he is confident that Sri Lanka can prevail against England in all formats if they can adapt to the local conditions.

Mathews further said that there are no secrets when it comes to an international cricket team as there are numerous videos of all the players and even the support staff in public, adding that he does not think Farbrace has all the inside information as every side knows a little bit about the opposition.