Cameron Menzies is set to make his World Cup of Darts debut partnering Gary Anderson after usurping Peter Wright in the Scottish team. Speaking to Online Darts, Menzies admitted he is feeling surprisingly calm ahead of the tournament. “Quite fine at the moment, which is quite surprising,” he said. “I'm a bit nervous, but it's more because I'm excited to finally get to put the Scotland shirt on. I've been busy this week and I don't fly out until Friday, so I think the nerves will start kicking in when I'm travelling over. Right now I'm fine, but it'll slowly creep up on me.”
Menzies is replacing two-time World Cup winner Wright, who won the title with Scotland in 2019 and 2021. “Yes. At least I don't need to do the hair like him,” he joked. “I'm looking forward to it. They're definitely big shoes to fill. The four players who have represented Scotland before me are all legends of the game in Scotland, so hopefully one day I can be mentioned in the same breath as them. Hopefully I can go there, do well, and get my name alongside theirs.” He described Anderson as the “perfect player to play with” and a hero. “He's a hero of mine. Even Peter would have been a privilege, but Gary is someone I've always looked up to. Hopefully I don't let him down.”
On team chemistry, Menzies highlighted the importance of staying calm. “Yeah. I figure if I get too emotional or too hyper, Gary will just clip me round the ears and tell me to calm down,” he said. “Gary is pretty much the exact opposite of me as a player, and I think that's why it might work. Gary will just throw his darts. If I make a mistake, he'll stay calm. If I play well, he'll stay calm. If I play badly, he'll stay calm. I don't think I'll get any different reaction from him. Having that calming influence beside me could be really good.” He cited last year's example of Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, who were the two best players in the world but things didn't work out. “This year they're probably still the two best players in the world and, on paper, they're massive favourites. But doubles is different. I think me and Gary will be fine. We do a lot of exhibitions together and get on well. We're both fairly quick players, so the chemistry should be there.”
Menzies also opened up about recent struggles, including a hand injury from punching the underside of the table at Ally Pally after losing to Charlie Manby. “I wouldn't say it's fully healed, and I don't think it ever will be, but it's much better than it was. It's still a little numb, but not to the point where it affects me. The main issue now is the cold, but most of the arenas are warm enough. The doctors said it could take around six months to heal and we're about six months on now, so we're right on schedule.” He admitted he considered quitting the sport. “The hand injury was difficult mentally because sometimes I struggled to hold the dart and it would slip. You start thinking, 'Is this it for me?' I was even considering going back to plumbing. But now I'm basically back to full fitness and I'm in a much better place mentally and physically.” Hypnotherapy has helped him feel calmer on stage. “There are still moments when I get caught up in things, but I feel calmer because I'm enjoying it more. For a while I was scared I wouldn't be able to perform anymore. Now I'm trying to enjoy the moments because I know how quickly it can all disappear.”
Looking ahead, Menzies is chasing a World Matchplay spot, currently in the top 16 of the ProTour Order of Merit with a £5,000 buffer to Sebastian Bialecki. “If I qualify, yes,” he said. “I'm currently in the qualifying places, but it's very tight and there are still a few tournaments left. Hopefully I get there. I feel like if I qualify this year I'll do better than I did last year—and hopefully I won't make any counting mistakes this time.” He was beaten 10-2 by Danny Noppert in his debut last year. “Blackpool has always been a special place for me because my family used to go there every September. I took my daughter there last year as well. It was a quick visit because of the tournament, but I still enjoyed it. I'd love another chance to play there and perform better than I did last year. That's the aim: qualify again, enjoy it more, and hopefully have a better run.”