PDC World Championship: Gerwyn Price criticises Peter Wright after defeat

Gerwyn Price says opponent Peter Wright was “out of order” after defeat to the Scot in a stormy PDC World Championship semi-final.

Welsh third seed Price, nicknamed ‘The Iceman’, lost his cool in the 6-3 loss.

Price was rattled by an incident after the first set and was criticised on social media when the pair did not shake hands at the end of the match.

“It’s not a rule that you have to shake hands before, after or during a game,” said the 34-year-old.

The former rugby player left the Alexandra Palace without speaking to the media, but posted on Twitter at 02:30 GMT on Tuesday.

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Price had wound up Wright, 49, before the match by saying he would take the first two sets.

The Scot tapped his opponent on the arm and spoke to him after taking the opener.

Price said he had been “fully focused” on the biggest game of his career.

“Banter is acceptable but not when players are fully focused trying to do a job, having just bombed the first set,” he said.

“I was upset with what Peter did and think it was out of order considering the circumstances.”

When Price levelled at 1-1, he went into Wright’s path during an exuberant celebration.

Wright, who will play Michael van Gerwen in the final on New Year’s Day, said he didn’t celebrate his victory because he was “focused and concentrated”.

“He wanted me to concentrate and I did just that – and he lost,” Wright added.

Three days earlier, Price had accused Simon Whitlock of “pathetic” slow play after beating the Australian 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Price and Whitlock clashed at last year’s Grand Slam of Darts where the Welsh player was later found to have brought darts into disrepute, after also upsetting Gary Anderson in the final over what the Scot viewed as slow play and over-exuberant celebrations by his opponent.

There was no handshake at the end of that match.

Price was fined a total of £20,000, which was halved on appeal, and after winning that tournament for a second time in November said he wanted to win over his critics.