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The darts world was left in disbelief last week when Michael van Gerwen (MvG) announced he won’t be representing the Netherlands in this year’s World Cup of Darts, which will be held in Frankfurt, Germany. Instead of competing, van Gerwen revealed that he’ll be taking a holiday during the tournament, which opens the door for Gian van Veen to join Danny Noppert as the Netherlands’ representatives.
This unexpected move by MvG has stirred up some conversation, with former World Matchplay champion Colin Lloyd now urging World Champion Luke Littler to resist the temptation to follow in van Gerwen’s footsteps.
Speaking on TalkSport, Lloyd expressed concern that Littler might see MvG’s decision as a chance to also bow out of the event, which will run from June 12 to 15. Lloyd said, “I can’t see that Luke (Littler) will not take the opportunity to partner up with Luke (Humphries) for the World Cup of Darts, I can’t see it. Listen, he might do. MVG pulled out of it.”
He continued, “It would be a great opportunity for him to pull on an England shirt, team up with the world number one, and my God, what a formidable pairing that would be.” Lloyd emphasized that, while it would be exciting to see the two Lukes, Littler’s decision to play or not will remain a mystery until closer to the tournament.
As it stands, Littler is set to team up with Luke Humphries, the world number one, making them one of the top favorites to take home the World Cup trophy. There’s no sign yet that Littler is planning to withdraw, but if he does, the backup options are strong. Either Stephen Bunting or Rob Cross, who are currently ranked third and fourth in the world, would likely step in.
With van Gerwen’s absence already shaking up the tournament lineup, all eyes will now be on Littler and whether he’ll follow through with the big opportunity in front of him or take a different path. Only time will tell!