01 February 2023 , 19:44
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The chief executive of the PDC, Matt Porter, has explained the decision behind some players being selected for the Darts Premier League.
The world's top four darts players, world champion Michael Smith, Michael Van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price were automatically awarded a place in the tournament. But the inclusion of the remaining four players are selected by Sky Sports and the PDC.
Jonny Clayton, Nathan Aspinall, Dimitri van den Bergh and Chris Dobey were chosen for the remaining sports in the tournament, which raised some eyebrows. Since Monday’s shock announcement, Porter sat down to speak about the reasoning behind the choices. "This year it was especially heavy on people's minds because there were so many candidates” he told the PDC.
“Some years we find it relatively easy to pick the players whether it is 8, 10, 9 whatever number we've had in the past but this year there were so many players who thought they had a case. But in the same vein there were probably a lot of players with half a case.
"Ultimately we sit down as a board, we look at every single contender and option. We analyse their performances over the last 12 months and then we make a decision and we know we're not going to please everybody." Porter also explained the reasoning for the timing of the announcement, which took place only a few days before the Premier League commences in Belfast tomorrow.
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"In the past we've announced it after the World Championship. Then you can look back on the year as a whole and that's something we have to give consideration to going forward whether we go back,” Porter added. “It'll maybe be that's cleaner and give people more time to plan and perhaps takes away some of the controversy."
The likes of Joe Cullen and Luke Humphries were devastated to miss out on the biggest darts events of the year. Cullen slammed Premier League Darts selectors as giving him a "kick in the balls" after being omitted from this year's tournament. The world No.11 finished fourth in last year's Premier League table qualifying for the quarter-final stage where he beat Peter Wright.
Joe Cullen was one of the players left gutted with his Premier League omission (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)The Bradford thrower, nicknamed The Rockstar, then beat Jonny Clayton on his way to the final where he missed a dart to win the tournament before Michael van Gerwen beat him 11-10. The Rockstar posted on Twitter: "Gutted with my omission from the Premier League! Don’t feel its justified at all if I’m honest…. In fact its a kick in the balls! But I’m certainly not the only player who rightly feels hard done by! Felt I deserved another chance after been 1mm from winning - been a tough day!!"
Humphries said he is "incredibly gutted" after being snubbed from the eight-player event despite winning five ranking events last year. The 27-year-old won four events on the European Tour and a Pro Tour tournament, leaving him ranked 5th in the world.
Luke Humphries was left out of the Premier League Darts selection despite winning five ranking tournaments last yearHe said: "Can’t deny that I’m incredibly gutted not to be involved in this years Premier league, I’ve really worked hard in 2022 to get the results I did, 5 senior ranking titles and 2 major semi finals, and All I can say is I’m proud of my achievements even if they wasn’t good enough."
Rob Cross and Rob Smith, also controversially missed out and Porter’s response to those who feel aggrieved to have missed out, is to prove him wrong. "In the past we've been guilty of putting players in when they've not quite been ready and their careers have taken a negative step," Porter said.
“We have to make sure the time is right for people to be named in the Premier League. 16 weeks of travel, flights, hotels, intensity, media scrutiny and playing in front of crowds of 10,000, it's not easy. We don't want to over expose somebody before they are perhaps ready for it, maybe we will be proven wrong, maybe we will be proven right.
"But we have to make a judgement call based on our honesty and opinions. For the lads left out, prove us wrong."