SHAUN MURPHY is gearing up for a packed summer – after taking on a double role at the World Championship.
The Magician last won snooker‘s biggest prize at the Crucible way back in 2005.
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Two decades on, Murphy has been in sparkling form to begin 2025.
The 42-year-old won The Masters earlier this year and is currently ranked No13 on the Order of Merit.
He has already bagged over £800,000 in prize money this season, a career high.
Murphy will be going for glory again on the baize in Sheffield next month.
But away from the table, he’ll also be filling in as a pundit and commentator for the BBC.
Murphy has proved popular with audiences since joining the Beeb’s snooker coverage in 2023.
He has enjoyed a dual role for the past two years, albeit dropping out early in the tournament on both occasions.
Murphy’s decision to balance both his playing and punditry has proved controversial, even among his fellow pros.
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Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan claimed Murphy would have more of a chance at winning if he stayed out of the comms box.
Speaking to Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips podcast in 2023, The Rocket said: “I can’t do the commentary.
“If I start commentating I feel like I’ve give up as a snooker player.
“There’s no way I can start doing that, I had to draw a line somewhere.
“Punditry I’m relaxed, chilled out, watching the game which is nice, but I’m not sitting in some little box.
“I can’t dilute myself too much, if you lose that then you don’t feel like a snooker player and it’s no good.
“Murphy does it, but I said to him, he can’t win a BBC event because he’s in the commentary box too much and the punditry.
“He could have won the Worlds this year if he’d stayed out of the punditry.
“It’s not right, I don’t get it.”
