Former champ Muhammad Yousaf believes snooker world cups have become ‘easier to win’

In 1994, Pakistan enjoyed a golden year in sports, reigning as world champions across four different disciplines.

Building on their 1992 Cricket World Cup triumph under Imran Khan's leadership in Melbourne, Pakistan’s hockey team also claimed glory by winning the 1994 Hockey World Cup in Sydney, excelling in the country's national sport.

On the individual front, Jansher Khan continued Jahangir Khan's squash legacy, securing his sixth World Open title, while Muhammad Yousaf made history by becoming the first Pakistani to win the IBSF World Snooker Championship in the same year.

However, since this pinnacle year, Pakistan's performance across many of these sports has significantly declined. In recent years, Pakistan’s cricket team has failed to make it past the knockout stages of the last two ICC events. Squash, once dominated by Pakistani players, no longer sees any representation in the top 50 rankings. The hockey team managed a bronze medal in the recent Asian Champions Trophy.

Despite the decline in other sports, Pakistan has seen some continuity in snooker, with Mohammad Asif and Ahsan Ramzan winning the IBSF World Snooker Championship in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

Pakistan's former world champion Mohammad Asif plays at a snooker club in Faisalabad on September 13, 2013.AFP

Decline in standard of World Cups

However, former snooker World Champion Muhammad Yousaf has expressed concerns about the declining standard of modern snooker World Cups, stating that the competition has become much easier.

"I usually keep quiet because people don’t like my opinions, but I’ll tell you, World Cups during our time were much harder to win as they featured more highly skilled cueists. Nowadays, World Cups are dominated by Asian players, making the competition easier to win," Yousaf said in an interview with Nukta.

When asked why the World Cup is now less competitive, Yousuf speculated that it might be because European players are avoiding Asian events.

"If you ask someone from an Asian country organizing the World Cup if it’s truly a World Cup, they’ll likely say it’s just a series of matches," he remarked.

Yousaf’s assessment is supported by the fact that the last non-Asian player to win the IBSF World Snooker Championship was England’s Alfie Burden in 2009.

Asjad Iqbal lost to India’s Kamal Chawla in the 2024 IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship final in Mongolia.Instagram/asjad.iqbal

The 72-year-old further explained that the snooker association is aware of the reduced difficulty of the competition, which is why they send cueists with the expectation that they’ll perform well, often making it to the semi-finals or finals.

"The World Cup I won, and particularly the one Mohammad Asif won, were far tougher. Now the problem is that because the tournament is easier, our cueists feel pressured to win at any cost, and when they get close to the title, their confidence falters," he added.

Lack of financial support

Yousuf criticized the lack of systemic support and job opportunities for cueists as a key reason for the sport’s decline in Pakistan.

"Snooker in Pakistan has no standard because there is no support. Many of our cueists are uneducated and rely on meager earnings from the sport. If a player is struggling to make ends meet and has no job, how can he focus on improving his game?" Yousaf questioned.

He emphasized that financial security is crucial for players to perform well.

"Without financial stability, a player cannot thrive in his game. There are many departments like WAPDA, Railways, and the armed forces, but they don’t offer jobs to cueists. If they did, you’d see many players rise to the level of Asjad Iqbal, Mohammad Yousuf, and Mohammad Asif," he said.

Yousaf expressed concern for the many talented cueists striving for success in the sport but facing uncertain futures.

"I worry about the future of thousands of talented cueists. I don’t see any prospects for them. Who will support them? I believe some of the current international players even pay their own expenses. If they win, the association may take a percentage of their earnings," he said.

Emerging stars

He also commended Asjad Iqbal, who recently lost to India’s Kamal Chawla in the IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship final in Mongolia.

"Asjad Iqbal is an excellent player, but luck plays a role. He was winning, but in one frame, his ball landed behind the pin, which changed the game. In the fourth frame, he made an incredible clearance. Chawla used tactics to confuse him, which is something Indians often do," Yousuf said.

Mohammad Hasnain in action at a local snooker club in Karachi.Nukta

Lastly, Yousaf praised rising star Mohammad Hasnain, who recently won the Asian 15-Red Under-21 title by defeating Ahsan Ramzan in Riyadh.

"Hasnain is very talented. He’s my student, and I trained him, helping him become Sindh champion. He’s still young, and time will show what he can achieve. But there’s no doubt he has the guts. In snooker, if a player can’t handle defeat, he has less chance of winning," he concluded.