WORLD CUP OF DARTS CHANGES COULD HELP LUKE LITTLER AFTER 17-YEAR-OLD MISSES OUT

Nathan Aspinall has called for the World Cup of Darts format to be revamped - potentially opening the door for teenage sensation Luke Littler to snag a spot.

The tournament is set to kick off this weekend, with England's hopes pinned on the two-man team of Luke Humphries and Michael Smith. New Premier League champion Littler has taken the darts world by storm since the turn of the year but current rules dictate that the Order of Merit, which is based on two years' worth of earnings, determines who gets picked for top-seeded nations.

Despite his phenomenal success, Littler is still only 25th in the rankings, largely because the Premier League is disregarded as an invitational event. With just six months on the PDC tour under his belt, 'The Nuke' was always up against the clock to qualify for the World Cup. However, Aspinall has long been frustrated by the selection process and has proposed some game-changing ideas to improve the World Cup of Darts.

Discussing the tournament with Footy Accumulators, Aspinall admitted: "Well, I've been number five in the world and I didn't make the team, and this year, I'm number four in the world, and I'm still not making the team.

"So it's quite annoying for me, as an Englishman, that I'm number four in the world, and I'm still not playing for England. I believe there's scope to change that, to make it a three, four, five-man team. I'd love to see a Ryder Cup-style tournament as well, that would be class."

The current England team is made up of world champion Humphries, who has pocketed £1,492,250 in winnings, and world number three Smith, with total earnings of £1,031,500. However, Aspinall's proposed changes could broaden the field and potentially introduce Ryder Cup-style captain's picks, offering Littler a fresh pathway to compete at the next World Cup.

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Littler still has some distance to cover to surpass third-placed Smith in the Order of Merit. His earnings are recorded as £303,500 - less than half of Aspinall's £617,250 in fourth place - and the teenager has 10 English players ranked above him. Yet, the World Cup of Darts is open to trialling new formats. For the 2024 tournament, all games will be played as doubles matches.

This change was implemented to promote more teamwork among players, and Aspinall's suggestions would only strengthen this aim. The tournament is set to take place at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, with the group-stage matches kicking off on Thursday.

England are one of four seeded nations that have been given a bye to the round of 16, joining reigning champions Wales (Jonny Clayton and Jim Williams), Netherlands (Michael van Gerwen and Danny Noppert) and Scotland (Peter Wright and Gary Anderson).

2024-06-27T19:05:22Z dg43tfdfdgfd