Luca Brecel names the ‘horrible’ thing he would change about snooker

World champion Luca Brecel wants to see the end of the bow tie in snooker, saying he loses ‘about 20 per cent’ of his game when playing in the formal attire.

The Belgian Bullet won the world title in sensational style this year at the Crucible and did so in the traditional waistcoat and bow tie which snooker fans have become accustomed to.

The 28-year-old believes he cannot hit his peak when playing in the restrictive clothes, though, and he reckons plenty of players agree with him.

Asked what changes he would make to snooker if he was making the decisions, he immediately honed in on clothing, telling Metro.co.uk: ‘One of them is definitely dress code.

‘The bow tie is just horrible. I lose about 20 per cent of my game when I play with a bow tie and I think there are other players have said it as well backstage.

‘Maybe loosen up a bit with the dress code because some shots you feel tight because of the shirt or the trousers and everything.

‘I understand it’s an elite sport and it looks good on TV probably, but we need to work something out there.’

Brecel will be in more relaxed attire this week at the Champion of Champions, where he takes on Barry Hawkins in his opening game on Tuesday afternoon.

The Matchroom-run event has opted for t-shirts over the traditional shirt and waistcoat, with the players’ names and nicknames emblazoned on the back.

Brecel is not stopping at attire when it comes to innovative ideas, though, and would like to see a shot clock brought into more events.

The Shoot Out is the only tournament currently using a shot clock on the main tour, but the world champ would like to see it brought in more widely to speed the game up.

‘Other than the dress code, maybe a shot clock, that would be good I think,’ he said. ‘I would have it in any of the tournaments, maybe. Just try to make it more attractive, quicker.

‘I always try to look at it from a viewer’s perspective because it is an entertainment business so it’s got to be quicker and more entertaining.’

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