FARAKH Ajaib is hoping to be quick on the draw when he makes his television debut in the BetVictor Snooker Shoot-Out on Friday.

The talented potter from Accrington takes on world number 15 Luca Brecel in the one frame showdown on EuroSport - and he is hoping history can repeat itself.

While Brecel can boasts the names of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy among his prized scalps, Farakh is up in the head-to-head contest against the Belgium Bullet, albeit in an Under 21s competition a number of years ago.

"Luca is a very good player, he's been to the World Championships and the Masters and is established high up the rankings," said Farakh who beat Brecel to win the Belgium Under 21s Open final, the highlight of his career to date.

"But I have beaten him in the past, although it was a few years ago, and this is a one frame shoot-out so anything can happen."

The Snooker Shoot-Out format is basically the same as the BBC's long running Pot Black programme only against the clock which every frame limited to 10 minutes.

Farakh is one of only a handful of amateur players to be have been invited to take part in the competition that includes the likes of Jimmy White, Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham and Barry Hawkins.

"I'm looking forward to it but I am a bit nervous," he said. "I've never appeared on television before but I like this format so it should be a bit of fun."

Farakh has been the standout player on the local circuit, winning the Golden Cue overall title on three occasions while he won the inaugural East Lancashire Snooker Championships at the end of last year.

While he admits his chances of becoming a full time professional may have gone, he still harbours hopes of getting in to the pro ranks via Q School that will be held in May.

Farakh only returned to playing seriously around 18 months ago but says he wished he made more of an effort to try and turn professional when he was younger.

"It is something I regret," said Farakh. "When I was younger I would only practise once a week and then I gave up the game all together to go and work for my dad.

"If I had put more effort in to then who knows but I enjoy playing at the Q School and I will give it another good go this year."

While the stakes are high - £1,000 to enter the 10-day event that includes three competitions - the rewards are appealing with the with the semi-finalists in each one earning a two-year card for the World Snooker Tour.

Last year's event in Burton, Farakh reached the last 16 on two occasions and finished joint seventh place overall - which earned him a place on the Challenger Tour where he competed in Belgium, Hungary and Germany.

While Farakh would love nothing more than to test his skills against the country's top players on a regular basis, he has shared the green biaze with household names of the game - playing former world champion Peter Ebdon in the German Masters while he also faced Anthony Hamilton in the Indian Open.

"They were both qualifiers held in this country and while I lost them both, it was great to be able to play against them," said Farakh.

With fellow Golden Cue winner, Simon Blackwell, also on the Challenger Tour, Farakh believes snooker in East Lancashire is very strong.

"We have two very strong tournaments at the moment which can only help the game thrive around here," said Farakh. "The Golden Cue is a well established event and run superbly by Neil McGovern.

"I think when it expanded a few years ago to include players from across East Lancashire and not just the Burnley area, it just got better as you what to beat the best around."

Farakh was the first winner of the East Lancashire Snooker Championship and he was full of praise for event organisers Jonny Hannan and Jonny Clark.

"To be honest, I was surprised how well run the event was," he said. "Quite often, when you launch a new competition, you can have a few problems but the two Jonnys did a great job.

"Snooker really is on the up in the area and events like that can only help."