Shaun Murphy has doubled down on his scathing criticism of Ronnie O'Sullivan - accusing the seven-time world champion of damaging snooker for everyone.
Murphy launched a blistering rant against the Rocket at this month's UK Championship in York. The Magician claimed he was 'extremely irritated' by O'Sullivan's ambivalent attitude, with the world No.1 maintaining his rhetoric that he is unbothered about whether he wins or loses.
O'Sullivan's lack of enthusiasm for the game that has made him a multi-millionaire has riled Murphy, who believes he should do more as one of the main ambassadors for the sport. And Murphy has reiterated his frustration with O'Sullivan, insisting that his status as the most popular player on tour means that he has a responsibility to offer more of a positive outlook on the sport.
‘I’m sure the game doesn’t mean as much to him the same as it does to pretty much everyone else," Murphy told his OneFourSeven podcast. "But he has to remember that he’s not just representing himself out there, he is representing the game as a whole and when he damages the game, he damages it for everybody. He owes the game a little bit more than that."
O'Sullivan nonchalantly brushed off Murphy's initial criticism as ''water off his back' before his defeat to Ding Junhui in York. The 46-year-old world champion has previously stated that snooker is now 'insignificant' in his life. But Murphy has told the game's most naturally gifted player that he doesn't 'have to be a rebel all the time'.
"He is the game’s biggest draw, he moves the needle when he plays, they used to say that for Tiger Woods, you could see the viewing figures change when he was playing golf," Murphy added. "Ronnie is exactly the same, there’s no question about that at all, but he isn’t bigger than snooker. Snooker was here before him and it will be here after him.
"Snooker is certainly more exciting and benefits from having someone like him in it, but you don’t have to be a rebel all the time. Sometimes it is okay to be a good ambassador and try to leave the game better than the day you took it up.
"While Ronnie has exceeded expectations in every part of the game and facet of snooker on the table, I think he’s left himself some way short in terms of his ambassadorial role."
