Luke Littler has responded to the PDC’s decision to ban him from playing for England in the Darts World Cup.
The 17-year-old deservedly won his first major title on Thursday night (23 May) after topping the Premier League Darts league format and defeating Luke Humphreys in the play-off final to lift the trophy at The O2 Arena.
Littler triumphed over two England World Cup players at Humphreys, winning a brilliant nine-dart duel before beating Michael Smith in the semi-final to win the £275,000 prize.
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However, a PDC ruling means he will not be able to take part in the World Cup of Darts. Under the rules, each country’s two competitors are decided by the PDC’s merit rankings, with Humphreys currently ranked number one in the world, Smith third and Littler 25th.
Speaking to Sports Boom, Littler admitted he was disappointed to miss out on the England squad but that the rule must remain in place after winning the Premier League. “Yes, but the ranking rule has been around for years. Luke [Humphries] and [Michael] Smith will get the job done,” he said.
Who do you think will win the Darts World Cup? Let us know in the comments below!
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The PDC prize money rankings rank players based on prize money won over a two-year period, and Little is nearly 18 months behind the other professionals on the rankings, having only just made his senior tour debut at the World Darts Championship in December 2023.
Littler is currently on the winnings list for his Ally Pally final win at £303,500, but prize money from winning the Premier League does not count as the tournament is not a ranking event. By comparison, Humphreys boasts £1.4965 million and Smith £1.0485 million.
The current table sees Little reckons he is behind compatriots Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Dave Chisnall, Chris Dobey, Ross Smith, Joe Cullen, Stephen Bunting, Andrew Gilding, Ryan Searle and James Wade in the race to play for England.
The tournament will begin in Frankfurt, Germany on June 16th and conclude on June 19th.