Doubts over team spirit between Smith and Cross at World Cup of Darts: A Humphries or Aspinall would suit Michael Smith better''

For England duo Michael Smith and Rob Cross, the 2023 World Cup of Darts can be viewed as something of a disappointment. The pair were dumped out in the quarter-finals 8-3 by Germany.

"See I didn't think England would go on and win the World Cup," Matthew Edgar says in conversation with Sky Sports' Abi Davies. "But I was surprised by the result to Germany. I thought that would be a game they could navigate and get through when we look at their individual forms."

Sadlybfor Smith and Cross, it wasn't to be as an inspired Gabriel Clemens powered the Germans to the semi-finals. "What we've seen from the World Cup is individual form doesn't really matter. When we look at the form players have brought in, Ratajski and Kcuik didn't bring the best form and then broke the world record!" Edgar continues. "Gabriel Clemens though, what a player he's developing to be. So good for German darts, breaking viewing records in Germany and Clemens is the flagship of that."

Also interesting to note is Abi Davies's thoughts that Cross wasn't the ideal partner for Smith. "Rob Cross had a really nervy wait to find out if was the partner for Smith," she says. "I do think a Luke Humphries or Nathan Aspinall would suit Michael Smith better."