A golden ball and a 167 break: Saudi Arabia’s mad snooker gimmick is a step too far

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director, opined: “It was just a matter of time before Saudi Arabia’s huge sportswashing machine sucked in snooker along with almost every other major world sport. open image in gallery Ronnie O’Sullivan will be heading to Saudi Arabia for the new event “Each game will be played under World Snooker rules and regulations but with the introduction of an innovative new concept, a 23rd ball known as the Riyadh Season ball,” explained the press release from snooker’s governing body, WST. Shaun Murphy, who can always be relied upon to toe the party line and is one of the 10 elite players selected for the invitational event, rushed to the defence of the new gimmick by comparing it to the Snooker Shoot-Out ranking event – a quickfire version of the sport with a shot clock and minorly tweaked rules that has become a generally well-loved, one-off breath of fresh air in the calendar comparable to Twenty20 cricket. It’s just something different and it’s not the first time the sport has tried new ideas.” There is something to be said for the sport bursting out of its sometimes fusty old bubble to attract new fans but let’s not pretend that a 20-point, golden ball gimmick more suited to a light entertainment TV show is the answer to snooker’s problems.