O'Sullivan: 'Many' players fix matches, Hearn wants names

On Monday, Stephen Lee was found guilty of manipulating the results of seven of his matches played in 2008 and 2009. He will find out his punishment on September 24.

O'Sullivan said he has heard of more players being involved in match-fixing and has called for more "transparency" in the game.

"I've heard there's many more players who throw snooker matches," he tweeted.

"I suppose Steve Lee was just caught out. I just love putting it out there. Bring it all out in the open. Nothing like a bit of transparency is what I say..

"No need to worry if you got nothing to hide. But plenty of people have got loads to hide. That's why there is no free speech. There (sic) hiding.

"They will prob fine me for talking about it. They don't like you doing that. Like to keep things under the carpet."

World snooker Barry Hearn responded by saying that O'Sullivan must back up such allegations with names or else he could face action.

"If he has names and he knows of incidences he has an obligation and a duty to report them and failure to do so will put him in breach of his player's contract," he told Press Association Sport.

"World Snooker will be writing to Ronnie to say that under his player's contract it is his responsibility to report any incidences he's aware of and failure to do so would lay him open to a charge of bringing the game into disrepute.

"There's no point in making vague announcements, if he knows something he has a responsibility to be specific and World Snooker will be writing to him on that basis.

"I don't know what's behind his tweets. Sometimes there's nothing behind them and sometimes there is.

"It's for him to tell us. He's either got to say, 'actually I don't know anything', or if he knows something then he has a responsibility to tell us and if he doesn't tell us then he could be brought into disrepute."