BBC confirm World Snooker Championship pundits with 5 legends included | Other | Sport
The BBC have revealed who will front their coverage of the upcoming World Snooker Championship. Five legends of the game feature on it panel of pundits but one familiar face is missing.
Action from the Crucible gets underway on April 18, following news that the tournament will remain at the iconic theatre in Sheffield until at least 2045. The BBC, the tournament’s host broadcaster, has revealed the names of those who will lead its coverage. Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott, Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor all return, but in the BBC’s official announcement, there was no mention of Shaun Murphy. The 2005 world champion was part of the BBC’s commentary line-up at last year’s tournament in between his playing commitments. After losing in the last 16 to Judd Trump, Murphy commentated on part of the final between Zhao Xintong and Mark Williams.
However, his focus will be solely on playing this year. A BBC spokesperson told the Express: “He won’t be part of the line-up as he’s participating in the tournament, so his focus is on that.”
Murphy appears to have cut back on his media commitments. In November, it was announced that the Onefourseven podcast he co-hosted with sports MC Phil Seymour had been paused indefinitely due to “busy schedules”.
The BBC said: “Hazel Irvine, Seema Jaswal, Rishi Persad and Catrin Heledd will present the TV coverage with reporting from Shabnam Younus-Jewell and Abigail Davis. Legends of the game Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott, Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor will offer their expert analysis throughout the tournament.”
Director of BBC Sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, added: “The World Snooker Championship always brings a host of exciting showdowns at the table and we will be here to show every shot at BBC Sport. With our line-up of snooker royalty offering their expert analysis across BBC TV, radio and online, fans can settle in for an action-packed tournament.”
After years of speculation, it was confirmed this week that the World Championship will stay at the Crucible until at least 2045, with the option of a further five years. As part of the new deal, the Crucible will undergo a £45million refit, increasing the venue’s capacity from 980 to just under 1,500 in a bowl-like ‘in the round’ configuration.
The tournament will continue to be staged at the Crucible in its current format until after the 2028 tournament, when it will temporarily move out for at least one year during the renovation.
