Luke Littler will not be representing England at the World Cup of Darts.
“Sky Sports and the PDC could change the World Cup of Darts selection process to get Luke Littler in this summer and they wouldn’t get much stick for it,” Priestley told BestAnonymousCasinos.
“It would be the union who get the blame for letting them change the rules and I think it would cause a lot of upset for the players. They could even boycott if there is a late change of the regulations. It reminds me of them trying to fast-track Raymond van Barneveld into the Premier League when he moved over [from the BDO].”
Littler has enjoyed a meteoric rise since making his breakthrough at the World Darts Championship at the end of last year. He will get a well-deserved break during the World Cup, with Smith and Humphries looking to bring the trophy home from Germany.
The teenage superstar recently spoke about feeling little pressure to pull out of events if he decides he needs some time away from the oche. Asked if he feels he has to show up to every single event, Littler said: “Not really. I can pick and choose what I want to play because my rankings are good and I’ve qualified for almost every event so I just pick and choose.