John Higgins has already given his thoughts on whether Stephen Lee would be welcomed back to snooker should he decide to do so after serving a 12-year ban.
Lee, who was found guilty of seven charges of match-fixing in 2012, is free to make a return to competitive snooker after serving his lengthy suspension.
If the Wiltshire-born player does decide to make a comeback, then he would have to go through Q-School to earn his tour card as any ranking points earned prior to his ban have been wiped.
Advert
Lee also owes the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association [WPBSA] a sum of £125,000 in legal fees related to the court cases and unsuccessful appeals from a decade ago, according to SnookerHQ.
Earlier this year, Lee appeared to rule out a playing comeback to the sport, telling a fan on Facebook: "Not a chance of it my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It's down to my son [who plays amateur snooker] now..."
Based on those comments, it is unlikely the 50-year-old will make a comeback to snooker but back in 2022, four-time world champion John Higgins welcomed a potential return.
Advert
"If he serves his ban and decides to come back we will welcome him back with open arms," Higgins told BBC Sport. "What a player he was. I'd have no problem, none at all."
A week before Higgins' comments, former World No. 5 Lee was on the fence regarding a comeback. “I must get asked this weekly, daily, minutely,” he said, as quoted by The Mirror.
“I would like to say no, but I am still capable of playing. Let’s see what happens in two years. It’s not a no, and not a yes. We can only just see what happens in a couple of years’ time. I have some exciting things coming up, and I’m also getting older."
Lee added: “My eyes are getting worse, and I never had good eyes to start with. As you get older the determination and the fire goes.”
Advert
Back in 2012, Lee was banned from competing in, or even attending, any WPBSA-affiliated tournament for 12 years after being found guilty of influencing the outcome of seven matches in 2008 and 2009.
Topics: Snooker, World Snooker Championship
Jack Kenmare