Selby has been blown away by the impact Hearn has made since replacing Rodney Walker as chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in December.

Hearn has already brought in big new sponsorship deals for a sport which had been struggling to attract substantial corporate backing.

And the plan for a massive expansion next season, with Hearn boldly talking about putting more than 20 tournaments on the calendar, has excited many.

Hearn is expected to put his defined proposals to the players tomorrow, and will expect a positive response, although some low-ranked players might raise concerns.

The Essex-based promoter has rejuvenated darts as a spectator sport since taking a majority stake in the Professional Darts Corporation nine years ago.

Asked whether he could make a fortune on the back of Hearn’s snooker involvement, reigning Masters champion Selby told Press Association Sport: “Fingers crossed, yes.

“With the Masters, he’d only been in charge for two or three weeks and he got a sponsor for that, and then with the Welsh Open he found a sponsor for that too, so things like that show what he’s all about.

“He just seems to be able to pick the phone up, click his fingers, and everything seems to come to him.

“I’d like to be involved in his plans for the future years. I think you need to maintain your position in the elite top 16 because most of the tournaments he does, if he does invitational tournaments, he’ll only take the odd few, the top 16 players probably, so if you’re not in that you’ll miss out on a few things.”

Hearn has decades of experience in sports promotion and was behind the launch of snooker’s Matchroom League in 1987, which continues to this day under its current Premier League banner.

The 61-year-old has vowed, quite seriously, to run a dictatorship at the WPBSA, and is expected to walk away from the governing body if his blueprint for the future is rejected.

Selby trusts the chairman to put the right strategy in place.

“He’s with the times,” world number seven Selby said.

“With the darts he seems to jazz it up and make it a bit more exciting, which is what it’s all about nowadays.

“Times have moved on and things have changed.

“Snooker is obviously a gentlemen’s sport, and as far as playing goes I don’t think you need to go too far with changes, but what he does before the start of matches and after frames is neither here nor there really.”

Selby, 26, who reached the World Championship final in 2007 and has won two of the last three Masters titles at Wembley, is awaiting the finalised Hearn manifesto as keenly as anyone.

The Leicester cueman explained: “As far as the snooker players are concerned, we’re excited to learn what he’s going to come out with.”