Stephen Lee has expressed his thoughts on the possibility of making a comeback to the World Snooker Tour after serving a ban for match-fixing. The former player received a 12-year suspension in 2014, which began in 2013, as a result of an investigation conducted by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).
Having been found guilty of manipulating multiple matches, including one at the World Championship, Lee has now completed his ban and is now eligible to participate in WPBSA-sanctioned events such as Q-School to potentially rejoin the main World Snooker Tour (WST).
Despite the opportunity, in a recent interview, the 51-year-old expressed his disinterest in returning to the top-tier competitions, citing the lack of support from the WPBSA. Lee, who currently resides in Thailand, stated, “I still enjoy playing snooker at a certain level, but I have no plans to return after 12 years. I have no intention of investing time in Q-School or working with WPBSA as they never assisted me or other players.”
Lee revealed that his late wife was against his return to professional snooker. He emphasized his lack of enthusiasm for the World Snooker Tour and his intention to explore other avenues. To be able to re-enter the game officially, Lee would need to resolve outstanding financial obligations amounting to £125,000 with the WPBSA resulting from legal proceedings and unsuccessful appeals.
Before his ban, Lee achieved a ranking as high as fifth globally, with notable performances in the World Championship and the Masters in 2008. However, his career took a downturn following a tribunal’s ruling that he engaged in match-fixing activities in several key tournaments.
The WPBSA reiterated its firm stance against match-fixing and emphasized its commitment to addressing such issues decisively. Lee’s suspension was one of the harshest penalties imposed on a player in snooker history until the Chinese match-fixing scandal in 2023, which led to lifetime bans for Liang Wenbo, Li Hang, and extended suspensions for others, including Zhao Xintong, the current world champion.