China Open referee says ‘calm down’ as Stuart Bingham has heated row with Hossein Vafaei during frame

Former world champion Stuart Bingham stopped a frame for around a minute and exchanged strong words with the referee after opponent Hossein Vafaei committed a foul during their China Open second round match.

Bingham was 4-0 ahead in frames, and 60 points to eight up, when Vafaei went in-off into the right middle pocket after hitting a red.

It was the only red that Vafaei could hit without going off one of the cushions, and the referee awarded a foul and gave four points to Bingham.

The 2015 snooker world champion, though, did not let the matter end there, with TNT Sports co-commentator Neal Foulds noting that there were 'some verbals' between the two players.

Bingham then got out of his chair and, rather than play his next shot immediately, decided to walk over to the referee and argue his point further - in animated fashion.

"If that's all he can see," he said, pointing to where the red ball was. "Then there's only going to be one outcome. It's always going to happen [the in-off]. That's always going to happen.

"He had no shot. All he could see was that red, and he couldn't help it going in-off."

"There is no other outcome. That was always going to go in-off," Bingham added. "So he's got the red safe, but he's gone in-off. I've got the white in hand. For what?"

Vafaei, who stayed sat in his seat, then attempted to tell Bingham his side of the story, which sparked an argument between the two players.

"I couldn't see anywhere else. I tried to come back from the cushion," the Iranian said, before asking his opponent what he meant.

"You know what I mean," Bingham replied.

"Calm down, please," the referee asked, as Bingham walked away while shaking his head before stating: "Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous." He then played his next shot from the baulk line but with no sight of a potable red.

'I can't see he had a point' - Co-commentator reacts to Bingham incident

Bingham went on to win the frame and then the second round match 6-0, progressing to the quarter-final as a result.

He won his opening match 6-4 against John Higgins and will now take on China's Zhang Anda in Taiyuan.

Speaking on TNT Sports after the match, Foulds had made his way to the studio before analysing exactly what happened between Bingham and Vafaei in frame five.

After fellow former professional Alan McManus claimed that Bingham believed Vafaei knew he would go in-off but played the red as it was the only ball available, Foulds added: "What isn't really a thing is a deliberate foul. We've had a few instances lately - I can think of three where players have thought their opponent had played a deliberate foul. But where is that in the rules.

"Mark Allen played the most deliberate foul you'll ever see against Wu Yize at the World Championship where he was trying to avoid the re-rack, so how is that any different?

"I didn't agree he [Bingham] had a point there. I think the world of Stuart, he's a great guy. But in that incident, I can't see he had a point."