On June 19, 2025, former world champion Rob Cross expressed disbelief over the unexpected 8-4 defeat of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, the world’s No. 2 and No. 1 players, to Germany’s Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko in the World Cup of Darts second round in Frankfurt, per Express. Speaking to Action Network, Cross said, “I can’t get my head around why it didn’t work… these boys are the two best players in the world,” dismissing claims they “bottled it” but acknowledging the pressure of facing a partisan home crowd, per Daily Star. England, pre-tournament favorites after a first-round bye, averaged just 93, well below their usual 100-plus, with only 4/11 doubles hit, per Yardbarker.
Cross, a four-time England representative, highlighted the unique challenges of pairs darts, noting, “You have to rely on each other… I struggle playing in pairs legitimately,” and praised the chemistry of Wales’ Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, per GB News. He suggested Littler and Humphries may have leaned too heavily on each other after poor throws, stating, “You’ve got to rely on yourself because it’s the only person that gets you out of trouble,” per Daily Star. Despite the “meltdown,” Cross defended their talent, predicting a strong recovery, per.
The loss, a day after their MBE honors, drew criticism from Dennis Priestley, who claimed they “let their country down,” per Express. X posts, like @DartsNews02, echoed Cross’ confusion, per. The defeat marked a rare low for Littler, the 2025 PDC World Champion, and Humphries, the 2024 World Cup winner, per Wikipedia.
