Ronnie O’Sullivan has been criticised by snooker bosses and urged to take a stronger lead in the sport’s war on corruption.
Ten Chinese players including top names Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong are currently suspended over an investigation into match-fixing.
Decisions on whether all or any of those players will be charged with breaches of the betting rules are likely to be made this week and possibly even as early as Wednesday.
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The Rocket broke his silence earlier in January at the Masters but his comments raised some eyebrows, not least with WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson.
The reigning and record seven-time world champion claimed the likely motivators for wrongdoing were gambling addiction and ‘financial desperation’ – but did not mention greed or coercion.
World No1 O’Sullivan had said: “Before you start criticising the guys involved you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes.
“It can only be one of two things, they either have an addiction and if that’s a case then they need help, or they are struggling to make ends meet. Maybe they are forced into desperation.
“I think World Snooker could help support them rather than being hard on them. Maybe they could help in some way so it’s less punishing for those players.
“I’m sure it’s happened in football and it hasn’t harmed football. I’m sure it’s happened in tennis and it hasn’t done tennis any harm.
“I’m sure some golfer has done something, it doesn’t seem to have affected that sport. I think it will get sorted and get done.
“I know we have to sit here and talk about this, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not as important as other things happening in the world.
“You’ve got to try and get to the bottom of it and try to support these people and hopefully put them in a position so they might not feel the need to do what they’ve had to do.”
But Ferguson insisted: “I was very disappointed with his comments. There was almost an intimation that it’s our fault if it is found and proven there has been corruption, rather than any players concerned.
“We strongly disagree with that, and there is no excuse whatsoever for corruption in sport, and that it is totally unacceptable if it is found.
“If it is proven for any player, it is not a case of it is because of this or that – there is no excuse. His comments [on possible motives] were pure speculation, there is no information out there yet.
“And the comments were not appropriate at this time. Even if it was true, it is too early to say it is due to players being desperate for money.
“If Ronnie were to say one thing about this issue tomorrow, I’d like him to say what I think he believes – that everyone who goes out there should play 100 per cent all the time to win.
“Because that is what he does as a great competitor and great sportsperson. I think deep down he believes that, so his comments were unfortunate, out of turn and not appropriate.
“I’d want him to say this sport is great with still amazing potential to get bigger and more global. He could be such a great spokesman for us, and I wish that were the case.
“Ronnie has a huge voice in our game because of the player he is on the table. And it is a shame when I read things that are negative.
“He could be the greatest voice of all for this sport. He is such a talent, and we love Ronnie. The talent, the entertainment, the fact he goes on year after year, hungry to win, a great competitor.
“But off the table it is not uncommon there are comments that we are very disappointed with.
“It is always disappointing when I read things where an issue is being turned back onto the sport in a way that is not true and not acceptable, and very unfair.”
The other players suspended are Zhang Jiankang, Liang Wenbo, Lu Ning, Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning, Chang Bingyu and Chen Zifan.
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