Former world champ Rob Cross went against his own rules to offer support to darts colleague Peter Wright.
Voltage, 34, put in a dominant performance against Snakebite, securing his spot in the Grand Slam of Darts last 16 with a thumping 5-1 win. Wright, 54, has been battling a slump, and his efforts at the Wolverhampton showdown did little to silence whispers of him walking away from the oche.
Wright thought he was finding his best form again when he overcame Michael van Gerwen at the German Darts Championship, on his way to winning the whole competition. With his current game a far cry from that winning moment in Hildesheim, Cross wanted to be there for the two-time world champion.
After dispatching Wright, Cross said: “The guy is a two-time world champion. I had a good chat with him before. I never normally talk to an opponent before I go on. I’m disciplined, [and] professional, I would always give Pete that time, and I had a good chat with him before I went on.
“I’m not going to say what was mentioned, but he’s not quite there at the minute and he deserves more. He’s given a lot to the game and I’m sure and I hope that he is going to pick it up and keep going and keep smashing it like he can.
“I don’t think anything has changed, but yeah, it’s tough. I really like the man. Apart from that, I suppose I like the man, but he’s a better darts player and all.”
(Image: REX)
Wright has been struggling with his form, finishing at the bottom of the Premier League table and suffering a whitewash defeat to Jim Williams in the second round of the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship last December. Commentator and former player Wayne Mardle has also expressed concern for Wright’s career.
He said: “Peter Wright’s form is worrying. This is a period that has gone on for a while. I believe a positive result can mask problems that might be there, and I think the European Championships last year did that. That came out of the blue, it really did. A European Tour win this year came out of the blue too.
“He can still do it, but when he comes off, my word he’s off. He’s got no B game at all. He was upstairs joking with us saying how rubbish he is, but I felt like he meant it. He was joking about it, but I kind of felt for him at that point.”