Mike De Decker slams 'scandalous' snub from Premier League Darts line-up
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Mike De Decker has hit out at his ‘scandalous’ omission from thePremier League Darts and said two players in the eight-man line-up don’t deserve to be there.
De Decker enjoyed a breakthrough year on tour last year and captured his first major with a stunning win over Luke Humphries to claim the World Grand Prix in October.
The Belgian rose to World No.24 but endured a disappointing campaign at the recent World Championships, losing 3-1 to Luke Woodhouse in his first match of the tournament.
Having suffered early defeats in other big tournaments such as the European Championships, De Decker ultimately missed out on a space in the Premier League which was announced earlier in the week.
Addressing his omission, PDC chief executive Matt Porter described De Decker as an ‘outstanding talent’ but suggested that the 29-year-old ‘wasn’t quite ready’.
‘You have to show that you can compete in the latter stages of TV tournaments on a regular basis,’ Porter added, speaking to Sky Sports.
‘Doing it once is fantastic and is something that you will always have but to really be part of the elite, you have to be doing it on a regular basis over multiple years.’
Regardless, De Decker has now become the first player in the Premier League’s 20-year history to miss out despite winning a major televised on Sky Sports in the prior year.
And speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, De Decker was clearly infuriated by the decision.
‘I find their decision a bit scandalous, to be honest and I didn’t think that explanation was fair,’ he said.
‘After my Grand Prix victory, I said that I might not be ready and I don’t regret that. But afterwards, I confirmed at other tournaments that I can compete with the world’s best.
‘Only at the World Championships it didn’t work out. It sucks and a shame that it happened then, but still. I do feel ready.’
De Decker was particularly frustrated by the inclusion of high-profile stars Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price who enjoyed runs to the quarter-finals at Ally Pally but have both struggled for form over the past 12 months.
‘They did not deserve it,’ De Decker argued. ‘Suddenly they reach a quarter-final at the World Championships and they are there.
‘Aspinall is there with his walk-on purely for the entertainment and if Price performs badly in the first few weeks, he will start complaining again.
‘They say that you get into the Premier League based on results, but apparently that is not the case.’
De Decker, however, was hopeful to harnish his frustration and ensure there can be no doubt about his inclusion this time next year.
‘I want to destroy everything this year,’ he added emphatically. ‘Not that I’m going to win everything now, like Humphries did when they kept him out of the Premier League, but I’m going to try damn hard.’
The first night of this year’s Premier League gets underway on February 6 in Belfast.
Defending champion Luke Littler is joined by the rest of the world’s top four – Humphries, Micahel van Gerwen and Rob Cross – with Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey, Aspinall and Price the four additional players selected by the PDC.
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