Stephen Lee has expressed his thoughts on a potential comeback to the World Snooker Tour after serving a ban for match-fixing. The former star was handed a 12-year suspension in 2014, which was retroactively applied to 2013 when his initial suspension began, following an investigation by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).
Having completed his ban, Lee is now eligible to participate in WPBSA-sanctioned events, such as Q-School, to potentially rejoin the main World Snooker Tour (WST). Despite this opportunity, the 51-year-old stated in a recent interview that he has no intentions of returning to the top level due to what he perceives as a lack of support from the WPBSA.
Residing in Thailand, Lee shared with The Hindu that he finds enjoyment in playing snooker at a certain level but is realistic about not pursuing a return after such a prolonged absence. He expressed disinterest in engaging with the WPBSA again, citing a lack of assistance provided to players.
Furthermore, Lee highlighted personal reasons for his decision, mentioning the loss of his wife and her opposition to his professional snooker career. He emphasized his lack of enthusiasm for rejoining the World Snooker Tour and expressed a desire to explore other avenues instead.
Should Lee decide to re-enter the snooker scene, he would need to settle a £125,000 debt with the WPBSA related to legal matters and unsuccessful appeals before being allowed to compete. The WPBSA clarified that a satisfactory agreement on these outstanding costs would be a prerequisite for Lee’s reinstatement.
Prior to his ban, Lee had reached a career-high ranking of fifth in the world. Notable incidents of match-fixing led to his suspension, including deliberate losses in matches against various opponents. The WPBSA reiterated its firm stance against match-fixing when penalizing Lee, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to such misconduct.
While Lee’s ban was one of the harshest in snooker history at the time, subsequent match-fixing scandals involving Chinese players resulted in even stricter penalties, including lifetime bans for some individuals. The sport continues to uphold stringent measures to combat match-fixing and maintain the integrity of professional snooker.