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World champion Robertson warns peers over Higgins

John Higgins was cleared of match-fixing © Getty Images

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Current snooker world champion Neil Robertson has warned his fellow professionals that they would be inaccurate to aim criticism at John Higgins when he returns to the game next month.

Higgins is on the verge of completing a six-month ban for breaching rules around betting, following a media sting that alleged Higgins had agreed to throw frames in future matches. Higgins was cleared of match-fixing, but his failure to report the Kiev meeting - filmed secretly by the News of the World - earned him a suspension and a £75,000 fine.

Robertson admits there will be players who feel Higgins' return to the game has come too soon, but the Australian disagrees. And he warned peers that it is not the Scot's decision to serve a six-month ban, pointing out that the entire case was judged by an independent disciplinary panel.

"Some players probably feel the suspension should have been for longer, some players feel it was probably right," said Robertson, whose World Championship triumph was overshadowed by the controversy.

"But it was out of our hands. The players aren't the ones who make the decisions, [World Snooker chairman] Barry Hearn is not the one who made the decision on the ban - it was an independent tribunal. So if any players want to have anything negative to say then it should be towards them and not John Higgins.

"It's not John Higgins' fault. All he can do is plead his case and take whatever the suspension or fine was.

"I think everyone's looking forward to having John back in the game. He's a fantastic player. We're all human beings and make mistakes. John will be welcomed back by me for sure.

"Having the likes of John and Ronnie [O'Sullivan] at their peak and still in the game is fantastic and when John comes back it will be another world class player to beat, and that makes me even more inspired to practice harder."

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