The decision means that O’Sullivan has missed his third consecutive tournament after pulling out of the British Open and Wuhan Open, with some raising eyebrows that the snooker legend has not been seen since his shock first-round defeat in the English Open last month.

Speaking to The Metro, Murphy has defended O’Sullivan’s decision not to compete in Belfast though. He said: “It’s completely players’ prerogative to play as and when he sees fit. He’s under no obligation to play, ever, he doesn’t have to play.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to be queuing up to scrutinise his medical excuse, but withdrawing on medical grounds is a way out of an event once you’ve entered. If he’s unwell and can’t play then that’s terrible and everyone wishes him well.

“I feel for the fans, but sports people and artists perform circumstances permitting. The truth of the matter is none of us know what’s going on in somebody else’s life. We can all make assumptions but nobody knows what’s going on with somebody else and we should all probably mind our own business.”

Similarly, Wilson also played down any ill feelings about O’Sullivan’s withdrawal and understands why the seven-time world champion is not demanding that he competes at every competition given his immense catalogue of victories in years gone by.