UK snooker star Mark King SUSPENDED from World Snooker Tour for ‘irregular betting patterns’

SNOOKER PLAYER Mark King has been suspended from the World Snooker Tour amid an investigation into irregular betting reports.

Romford’s world No. 57 was due to face Muhammad Asif on Saturday afternoon in Leicester in the first round of the WST Classic.

But that match never happened and Asif picked up a clear victory thanks to the intervention of the president of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), Jason Ferguson.

The WPBSA announced on Saturday that King would be suspended from “participating or competing” on the Tour effective immediately.

This follows an initial investigation into irregular betting patterns reported to the WPBSA in relation to the match between King and Joe Perry at the Welsh Open last month.

The suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation or any subsequent charges that may or may not be brought.

King has the right to appeal the decision, but if the investigation takes several weeks to conclude, he is likely to miss the chance to make Crucible qualifying in Sheffield next month.

SunSport has contacted King for comment.

The 48-year-old Potter from Essex turned professional in 1991 and his only ranking title was the 2016 Northern Ireland Open when he beat Barry Hawkins 9-8 in the Belfast final.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Perry who won that tie 4-0.

News of King’s suspension comes as 10 Chinese players have been charged with a series of alleged match-fixing offences.

All stars – including Triple Crown winners Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong – remain barred from competition and will be absent from the 2023 World Snooker Championship.

Monday April 24 – the tenth day of action at Worlds in Sheffield – has been set for the start of proceedings for the corruption probe that has rocked the sport.

Hearing interviews will be conducted via video link as nine of the ten players who were suspended following allegations of contest rigging have returned to China.

Sport Resolutions has appointed Ian Mill KC to preside over the independent disciplinary hearing.

Mill has extensive experience working on different sporting cases and has chaired or served on panels in tennis, cricket, boxing and football.

He was appointed Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer for World Tennis in October 2014 and sits as an Appeals Commissioner for the British Boxing Board of Control and as a panel member for the FA Premier League.