SNOOKER stars were left baffled as to why Zhao Xintong was allowed to play at the World Championship.
The Chinese star, 28, won the title for the first time at the Crucible this year, but remains banned in China.
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Zhao previously admitted being party to another player fixing two matches while betting on matches himself.
That saw him handed a 30-month global ban which was later reduced to 20.
However, the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA) chose to stick with the original 30-month ban, meaning he will not be able to return to playing in his homeland until July.
And 2005 champion Shaun Murphy revealed he asked why Zhao was allowed to compete.
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The 42-year-old told OneFourSeven Snooker Podcast: “This point was made to anyone in World Snooker and the WPBSA who would listen at the time.
“Asking the question, how can a player who is still banned by their own governing body be seen and be deemed to be in good standing?
“And therefore be allowed to enter WPBSA events such as Q Tour – that was a question that was asked about ten months ago, before the start of the season that’s just ended.
“It seemed fairly black and white to most of us that he wasn’t in good standing with his national governing body.
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“There are lots of other players that this has and does, and will apply to. You can’t just go around joining federations and tournaments as you see fit.
“You have to be in good standing. The question we all asked was, how can a player who is still banned be deemed to be in good standing?
“I’m yet to hear a satisfactory answer from anyone at WPBSA Towers or the tour, so I don’t know the answer.”
Zhao’s ban meant that he was forced to qualify for World Snooker via the amateur Q Tour and compete as an amateur at the Crucible.
But he showed that he was far from an ordinary ‘amateur’ with his demolition of Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-final, which saw the Rocket whitewashed in the morning session.
He then went on to defeat Mark Williams 18-12 in the final.