Shaun Murphy Supports Zhao Xintong’s Snooker Comeback Following Betting Suspension

Former world champion Shaun Murphy has expressed his support for Zhao Xintong’s return to snooker, asserting that the sport is enhanced by the Chinese player’s presence. This follows Zhao’s re-entry into top-tier competition after completing a 20-month suspension, marking his first major tournament since the ban. The 27-year-old Zhao was among ten players who received bans as a result of a corruption scandal. After serving a suspension lasting one year and eight months, he has now made his comeback, qualifying as an amateur for the UK Championship, a tournament he previously won in 2021. While he did not directly fix a match, his initial suspension of two and a half years was shortened following his early admissions and guilty plea. He acknowledged charges related to his involvement in another player fixing two matches and placing bets on matches himself. Murphy, who defeated Zhao 6-5 in the opening round of the UK Championship on Saturday at the York Barbican, stated: “Xintong was always a slightly different case to the others. He was not a cheat, he did break the rules but admitted that and served his punishment. He should be allowed to move on and come back to the sport when he qualifies. The game is better for having Xintong in it.” Earlier this week, in an interview with the BBC, Zhao, pictured with the UK Championship trophy after his 2021 victory, encouraged other players to learn from his past error. He commented: “Two years ago I made a little mistake, now I’ve come back. I know how important snooker is to me and now I just want to come back to the snooker table. Let them know this is a big lesson, don’t make the mistake. Play snooker, it’s a very good thing.” Murphy expressed his belief that Zhao would be welcomed back to the sport full-time, provided he successfully requalifies for the main World Snooker Tour. Murphy further stated: “We’ve all made mistakes, he has served his time, he should be allowed the opportunity to go through the qualifying criteria to get back on the tour.” Despite his support for Zhao’s return, Murphy holds a different view regarding the other nine players implicated in the scandal—Liang Wenbo, Li Hang, Lu Ning, Yan Bingtao, Zhang Jiankang, Chen Zifan, Chang Bingyu, Zhao Jianbo, and Bai Langning—believing they should be permanently barred from competitive snooker. Murphy asserted: “If you are caught cheating you should be banned for life. Cheating is cheating, there’s no room for it in any sport or our sport, but I can’t emphasise the point enough – Xintong was not accused of that, he was not guilty of that, so I do believe he should be able to compete.”