Peter Wright: “It was to shut Chris Mason up saying Chris Dobey should be in the Premier League. What’s he won? He won a Masters, a Mickey Mouse tournament. It’s all he’s won”; Wright later on X: “I would like to apologise to Chris Dobey, it wasn’t meant to be a dig at him personally”
9:17, UK, Sunday 04 February 2024
Peter Wright has hit back at critics and defended his place in the Premier League after suggestions Chris Dobey should have been picked ahead of him, apologising to the latter for saying ‘What’s he won?’
In an interview on Saturday, the Scot was wound up about the fact people have claimed his invitation to the Premier League was unjustified. Among others, darts analyst Chris Mason has spoken out and stated he thought Dobey was a better choice.
Following his 10-8 win over Krzysztof Ratajski, which clinched a place in the Masters quarter-finals, Wright told Darts Now: “It was to shut Chris Mason up saying Chris Dobey should be in the Premier League. What’s he won? He won a Masters, a Mickey Mouse tournament. It’s all he’s won.
“Has he won a European Championship? Has he won a major? A proper major? No, he hasn’t.
Chris Dobey did not make the Premier League selection for 2024
“Yes he was a better player last year, but so what? I won two World titles, two World Cups, two European Championships and a Matchplay.”
Later on Saturday, Wright apologised to Dobey for the comments via social media.
“I would like to apologise to Chris Dobey, it wasn’t meant to be a dig at him personally, it was about being picked for the premiere [sic] league and the criticism about being pick [sic] over Chris Dobey. Not that I know if it was a choice between us or not,” Wright posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Rob Cross broke with a 109 checkout before taking the win against Peter Wright in the Premier League of Darts’ opening night
Wright faces Stephen Bunting in the Masters quarter-finals on Sunday. He takes on world champion Luke Humphries in week two of the Premier League in Berlin on Thursday.
Smith silences whistlers to win in Cardiff
Michael Smith defeated Luke Littler 6-5, battling against loud whistles from the crowd
Former world champion Michael Smith silenced the whistlers to win the opening night of Premier League Darts, beating teenage sensation Luke Littler and Gerwyn Prince on his way to victory.
The St Helens star denied seven-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen, 17-year-old Littler, home favourite Price as well as a volatile Cardiff crowd to cap off a wonderful performance in the Welsh capital and claim maximum points.
Premier League Darts continues on Sky Sports on Thursday, February 8 as Berlin is the next stop on the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday, May 23. Stream Sky Sports Darts without a contract through NOW
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