Hearn unveils snooker shoot-out

Snooker chief Barry Hearn believes the sport's close cousin of Twenty20 cricket could upset purists but bring a new generation of fans to the sport.

This week, Hearn confirmed a one-frame knock-out event will take place in January next year, titled the World Snooker Shoot-Out.

The three-day tournament will feature the world's top 64 players, who will all be subject to a 20-second shot clock and frames lasting a maximum of 12 minutes.

There will also be a random draw, which could see top players paired together in the early rounds, and the tournament will be televised by Sky - the first time the broadcaster has shown a World Snooker event since 2004.

"It will be snooker at full throttle, testing the players to the limits of what they can do under pressure," said World Snooker chairman Hearn.

"They will have to make quick decisions and show their natural ability and plenty of bottle - with the chance to double their money for every game they win.

"The champion will walk off with £32,000, which is not bad for a long weekend.

"There will be a very lively atmosphere so it might not be one for the purists, but we want to appeal to new and younger audiences and this is the perfect format to trial.

"This is among the most exciting ideas I've had since coming back into snooker and I can't wait to see it realised."