MARK WILLIAMS (pictured) has renewed his anger at the way World Snooker are handling the professional game after claims the governing body are ready to get rid of all their overseas ranking tournaments next season.

Wales' world number one (pictured) reckons the governing body are losing millions in revenue and are ready to keep everything British-based for the next campaign by cutting the number of events to just half-a-dozen.

Williams thinks it would be better for someone else to take control of the sport, a similar call to the one he and his 110 Sport stablemate Stephen Hendry made 12 months ago when they fought World Snooker in court over a proposed rival professional circuit, ultimately losing.

Williams has particular effinity for the foreign events, given that he broke a barren 18-month spell without a world ranking tournament win a month ago by winning the Thailand Masters and the China Open back-to-back.

On the future, he said: "We have been told we have only got six ranking tournaments next year.

"Someone else should take it over, definitely, if World Snooker are losing £2m this year. Something should be done soon."

For people like his stablemate Dominic Dale, from Penarth, who reached The Crucible quarter-finals in 2000, losing events would mean a big loss of income.

Dale said: "They are going to drop three tournaments next year so prize money will be reduced and, if you look at it properly, then the game is obviously in trouble if that happens.

"It will be a shame if snooker starts sinking and I hope they (WS) can get some sponsors for next season."

Tournaments like the Regal Welsh in Cardiff, the Regal Scottish Masters, the UK Championships and the British Open would be safe but China, Thailand and the European Open in Malta would go.

Dale added: "You would have to start worrying about players' futures if it went down to just six tournaments."

Cwm-based Williams heads to Sheffield next week for another crack at the Embassy World Championships which he won two years ago by beating Carmarthen's Matthew Stevens in the first all-Welsh final there.

He tackles 1991 Crucible king John Parrott in the first round after the Liverpudlian had to qualify for the event last month at Newport Centre.

Dale wants to silence the Sheffield audience in his opener by beating six-times runner-up, 'Whirlwind' Jimmy White.