'We should just be really happy': Paul Nicholson eagerly awaits Adrian Lewis return

Realistic expectations

Still, Nicholson cautions not to set expectations too high. Lewis has played many exhibition matches recently, beating Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld, among others. But: "This will be a genuine competitive environment with a lot more pressure. He's not been sticking in vast 100+ averages that we would associate with Adrian during his peak years between 2010 and 2015 but the fact remains he's still a very, very good dart player.

Partner Beaton is an ideal companion, according to Nicholson. "As for Steve, he's been playing pretty well this year and has made numerous finals in this building in Portsmouth including at the Legends week which he lost to Richie Howson."

The biggest competitors

The Netherlands is considered a top favorite for title prolongation. Danny van Trijp and Jimmy van Schie not only won the first edition, but were also individually successful in recent Super Series weeks. Moreover, they are using this tournament as preparation for the WDF World Cup in South Korea.

In addition to England and the Netherlands, Nicholson also points to the United States as a dangerous outsider. "Alex Spellman and Jason Brandon are in great form right now.

"Alex won a big event in Florida recently and Jason, of course, beat Stephen Bunting at the US Darts Masters back in June as well as impressing away from the TV cameras.

"Canada will also be in the mix due to the form of Smith, who won the Super Series XI event for £25,000, but we don't know what to expect from Dawson Murschell, who hasn't played competitively in front of the cameras for quite a long time."

What's at stake for Lewis?

The return of Adrian Lewis begs the question: does he really want to return to the sport? Nicholson: "I really like the fact that Adrian is dipping his toe in the water in a pairs environment, because I think he's still quite unsure as to what he wants to do in the future.

"The group stage format means he'll get plenty of match time without any worries of going home after one defeat and in Steve Beaton he has an excellent partner whom he trusts and can help him get back into the swing of things.

Lewis has mostly taken time for his family and his wife in recent years. Nicholson praises him for that: "It's the perfect way for him to get the feel of competitive darts again and there's no doubt Steve was carefully selected to make Adrian feel a lot more comfortable than if it had been someone completely random or unknown to him.

"As for Adrian's future in darts, it's just a question of whether the flame still burns from within and if he still has the fire to make him play at that higher level.

According to him, the darts world should take into account that Lewis might decide not to return at the highest PDC level. "He's probably got some level of peace, knowing that if it doesn't go to plan and never returns to the PDC, he can just keep being a great exhibitionist for the fans.

"And we have to be prepared for that. He might get to the end of the week and realise he just didn't enjoy the experience or the anxiety. He might decide that he'd rather just do exhibitions, meet people and tell stories.

"Not all sports stars have to stick around as long as Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Phil Taylor, pushing their bodies and minds to the absolute limit before they can't do it anymore."

The greatness of Lewis in his peak years

Why is the return of Lewis making such a stir? Because he was an absolute crowd pleaser in his best years. "Adrian was a moment creator. That's what I always used to say about him.

"Whenever Adrian was in the building, something would happen. Whether he was playing Phil Taylor, Van Barneveld, Gary Anderson, something exciting was always happening."

That flair ensured countless classics, but perhaps also that he won fewer majors than was possible. Besides his two world titles, he picked up only the UK Open and the European Championship. One explanation: he played in a golden generation with greats like Taylor, Van Gerwen, Anderson, Wright and Wade.

"There was Taylor, MVG, Anderson, van Barneveld, Wright and also James Wade all vying for trophies - it was an achievement if anyone could get their hands on one.

"It was almost like in tennis when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic were keeping greats like Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro and Stan Wawrinka from winning a huge haul of trophies that they would have managed in any other era."

Can he ever get back to the top?

A dream scenario in which Lewis plays another World Championship final against, say, Luke Littler now seems unrealistic, but not impossible. Nicholson cites Peter Wright as an example

"Look at Peter Wright in 2014. Despite only being in his early 40s at the time, he was so, so close to walking away from the game. Instead, he knuckled down and went on to become one of the best players of all time and now has a much better CV than Adrian. If you'd have said in 2014 that at the end of their careers, Peter Wright would be regarded as a better player than Adrian Lewis, people would have questioned if you were feeling alright!"

In darts, a resurgence is always possible, even in your 40s or 50s. Nicholson points to Gary Anderson, who is still reaching a high level. For Lewis, it may be crucial that he is better coached these days, with a manager who can keep his schedule in check.

"Adrian's previous career management wasn't good and he found himself working too much. He was a shadow of himself at times. That’s only my opinion.

"Now he's got more information about how to manage his schedule better with a manager who is probably the best in the business so from this perspective, there's no reason why he can't come back stronger. But it's all his choice."

Conclusion

The International Pairs is more than just another tournament. It is the backdrop to a story that has haunted darts fans for years: will Adrian Lewis return?

Whether he grows into a title contender again or simply finds his enjoyment in exhibitions as a showman, his comeback is a feast for the fans. "We should just be really happy about the fact that we're going to get to watch him play. If he hits a 26 or a 180, I really don't care. I just want to see a smiling, happy, healthy Adrian Lewis play darts, because that is exciting to watch."