Stephen Lee has expressed his thoughts on a potential comeback to the World Snooker Tour after serving a 12-year ban for match-fixing. The former snooker player was suspended by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in 2014, a ban that ended recently, making him eligible to participate in WPBSA-sanctioned events like Q-School to potentially rejoin the main World Snooker Tour (WST).

Despite being able to resume his snooker career, Lee indicated in a recent interview that he has no intentions of returning to the top level due to what he perceives as inadequate support from the WPBSA. The 51-year-old, now residing in Thailand, mentioned that he enjoys playing snooker at a certain level but stated his reluctance to go through the Q-School process or work with the WPBSA again.

Lee emphasized that the long ban period and personal circumstances, including the loss of his wife, have shifted his focus away from professional snooker. If he were to consider a return, he would need to settle a £125,000 bill with the WPBSA related to legal matters and appeals before being allowed to compete.

Before his ban, Lee achieved a high ranking of fifth globally and had notable performances in major tournaments. However, his career took a downfall when he was found guilty of fixing matches, including intentionally losing games against prominent players, resulting in his suspension.

The WPBSA reiterated its strict stance on match-fixing when addressing Lee’s case, highlighting a zero-tolerance policy towards such activities. Lee’s ban was one of the severest in snooker history until a Chinese match-fixing scandal in 2023 led to lifetime bans for players involved.