THE WORLD number two has withdrawn from his upcoming Premier League darts match after suffering a hand injury.

Gerwyn Price was due to play Joe Cullen in Brighton in the fifth round of darts’ Premier League on Thursday night.

Cullen will now be awarded a 6-0 win in the opening round of the night.

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A statement released by Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) said: “The Welshman informed the PDC of his decision at 4pm on Thursday, having travelled to Brighton on Wednesday and attempted to practise ahead of his scheduled match with Joe Cullen.

“Following the withdrawal, under the rules of the tournament Cullen is awarded a 6-0 win in the quarter-finals, and progresses into the semi-finals to play either Michael van Gerwen or James Wade.”

Price, who is nicknamed The Iceman, previously became the first Welshman become world darts champion.

In 2017, he was the runner-up at the UK Open - Price's first major event final - and has also competed in the prestigious Premier League Darts tournament on three occasions, finishing 10th, 5th, and 5th, in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively.

Price took his first major win in controversial fashion at the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts tournament.

He retained the title at the 2019 tournament, and won it again in 2021.