“He does everything whenever it suits him. He doesn't give a damn about anything” – Gerwyn Price faces criticism for mercurial attitude

The late withdrawal of Gerwyn Price from the International Darts Open has raised eyebrows. Former professional Vincent van der Voort is particularly unimpressed with the timing of the Welshman’s decision to pull out.

Price skipped last weekend’s Euro Tour event in Germany to fully focus on the Premier League Darts Play-Offs. Van der Voort understands that choice in itself, but says the timing is hard to justify.

The Welshman only withdrew after the draw had already been made. That is precisely what irritates Van der Voort, who shared his view on the Sportnieuws.nl podcast Darts Draait Door.

"He already knew for a week that he was in that final night, didn't he? Why do you have to withdraw just after the draw? You weren't planning on going anyway, so why not just cancel earlier?", said the former pro.

Price finished fourth in the regular Premier League season and thus qualified for Finals Night in London. There he faces Luke Littler on Thursday, while the other semi-final pits Luke Humphries against Jonny Clayton.

Humphries, Littler, and Clayton also chose to skip the Euro Tour weekend, but did so well in advance. Price’s withdrawal came at the last minute, something Van der Voort says fits a broader pattern.

"With him, you just never know. He cancels at the last minute so often. It's not just with this; he also cancels demos at the last minute so someone else has to be called in," said Van der Voort.

According to the Dutchman, Price mainly follows his own schedule without considering the organisers or other stakeholders. “He does everything whenever it suits him. He doesn't give a damn about anything.”

Even so, Van der Voort does not expect the Welshman to face any issues because of his approach. He believes Price remains a sought-after name for organisers regardless.

“He gets away with it, because everyone just keeps booking him and keeps thinking it's all fine,” said Van der Voort. “But of course, it is just crazy. He could have done it before the draw. It's really not like he only decided after that match I'm not going.”

Due to Price’s late withdrawal, Christian Kist unexpectedly received a spot in the second round of the tournament. That offered a small silver lining for Dutch darts fans, though the upset never came. Kist went out straight away to Ryan Joyce.

Van der Voort realises the situation worked out well for Kist, but believes the wider public ultimately suffers from such late changes. "It is an advantage for Kist, so that is nice for us Dutch people, but I think it is just worthless for the general public."

On Thursday evening, Price will be in action at the Premier League Darts Play-Offs. Because ‘The Iceman’ finished fourth in the final standings, he must face number one Luke Littler in the last four. The other semi-final is between number two Jonny Clayton and number three Luke Humphries. The final will then be played later in the evening.