Stephen Lee has expressed his thoughts on the possibility of making a comeback to the World Snooker Tour after serving a 12-year ban for match-fixing. The former snooker player was suspended in 2014 by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) for his involvement in fixing matches, including one at the World Championship.
Having completed his ban, Lee is now eligible to participate in WPBSA-sanctioned events like Q-School to potentially rejoin the main World Snooker Tour (WST). Despite this opportunity, in a recent interview, the 51-year-old stated that he has no plans to return to the top level due to what he perceives as inadequate support from the WPBSA.
Residing in Thailand, Lee mentioned to The Hindu that while he still enjoys playing snooker at a certain level, he is realistic about not pursuing a comeback after such a lengthy ban. He expressed disinterest in going through Q School and working with the WPBSA, citing a lack of assistance from the association.
Lee, who reached fifth in the world rankings before his suspension, achieved notable success in tournaments like the World Championship and the Masters. However, his career took a downward turn after being found guilty of deliberately losing matches against various opponents, leading to his ban.
To consider returning to professional snooker, Lee would need to settle a £125,000 bill with the WPBSA related to legal proceedings and unsuccessful appeals. The WPBSA emphasized that Lee must resolve this matter before being allowed to compete in sanctioned events.
Following Lee’s ban, the WPBSA reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on match-fixing, underscoring its commitment to addressing such issues decisively within the sport. Notably, Lee’s suspension was one of the harshest penalties imposed on a player in snooker history until the Chinese match-fixing scandal in 2023 resulted in lifetime bans for several players, including Liang Wenbo and Li Hang.
