Cameron Menzies Takes Scotland World Cup Debut After Injury Fight
Cameron Menzies is set for his World Cup of Darts debut for Scotland in Frankfurt this week after a period that almost drove him out of the sport. The 36-year-old is back on one of darts' biggest stages with Gary Anderson, and Scotland enter on Saturday as one of the four seeded nations.
Menzies and Anderson in Frankfurt
Menzies, ranked 29th in the world, will partner Anderson for Scotland as they chase a third title after wins twice before. He described Anderson as his hero, and said the pair have already built familiarity through exhibitions together.
“We do quite a lot of exhibitions together, so the chemistry should be okay,” Menzies said. He also added, “If I get too hyper, Gary will just clip me behind the ear to tell me to calm down,” a line that fits the way the two have worked around each other's habits before a major event.
Hand injury and hypnotherapy
The Scotland place comes after a much rougher stretch. Following a first-round exit at the PDC World Championship, Menzies damaged his hand by angrily punching a drinks table, then found himself close to packing in darts a few months later.
He turned to hypnotherapy to help control his emotions. “It helps you do little problems at a time, it has been a massive help for me,” he said. “It's not just with my mental state with the darts, it's to do with life as well.”
Back to full fitness
Menzies said the recovery is not completely finished, but the difference is obvious. “I don't think it will ever be fully healed but it is a lot better than it was,” he said of the hand, which remains a bit numbish.
He was more direct about the bigger turnaround in his game and his headspace. “Absolutely fine, which is good for the mental side because I used to sometimes struggle holding a dart. It would slip out of my hand and I would just get caught in my own head worrying 'is this it for me?'” he said. “It was something that I had to deal with but now I am basically back to full fitness and a lot better mentally and physically.”
That leaves Scotland with a seeded pairing and a player who arrived at selection through recovery as much as ranking. Menzies said he feels calmer on stage now because he is enjoying darts more, and that makes this debut in Frankfurt less about survival than about proving he can stay there.
