DARTS star James Wade has criticised the current standard in major tournaments.
Wade, 41, is a four-time PDC World Darts Championship semi-finalist but has lost his opening match in each of the last three years.
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The Machine’s underwhelming recent form at Alexandra Palace has coincided with Luke Littler and Luke Humphries‘ rises to the top.
However, the Surrey darts star claims the level is “not as mighty as people talk about” despite “better players” being involved.
The World No14 also aired his concerns over a lack of “big numbers” and “magical games'” at top level, even though Littler and Humphries have greatly contributed to a boom in darts’ popularity.
Wade told Sky Sports: “When the easier games are coming my way when I should be doing something, I’m not performing.
“But it seems to be my timing is awful at the moment and that’s what I need to get right.
“I don’t think the standard is particularly great at the moment. The high end is good but it’s not what I feel people are talking about.
“There’s opportunities there and there’s lots of players not taking them.
“I’m contradicting what I want to say now because I was trying to be polite… I don’t think it’s what it’s hyped up to be.
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“What I feel is there’s more better players that can win tournaments, there’s more than a few of them now, but I don’t feel the big numbers are coming and I don’t feel that the magical games are that in-depth in tournaments now.
“I just don’t feel that the big numbers are there. I watch very, very little darts, so I’m probably the worst person to ask, but I don’t see that the standards are as mighty as what some people talk about.
“It’s magical, you know, and it’s amazing. But I just feel there have been other years and other times where it’s probably been a bit better. That’s my experience from what I see anyway.”
So far this year, Wade has suffered a second-round exit at the World Masters at the hands of Littler in January.