Messi missing out on Laureus award a glitch in the system, says Waugh

Lionel Messi hasn’t won a Laureus award in five nominations, and Steve Waugh acknowledged it needed to be fixed. Messi is in the running for the sixth time but may fail to go home with the statuette again.

Waugh felt Messi’s continued absence from the winners’ list was a glitch in the system, one that the Laureus Academy was keen to fix. “He has been in a team sport and that may make him ineligible,” said Waugh before the awards night on Monday.

“It is something we are looking at in the academy. Maybe, a new award for that sort of person would be good. Messi is one of the best sportspeople in the world and he hasn’t received a Laureus, so I guess it is a glitch in the system but we are working to correct it. Messi is known all around the world and is the best sportspeople in the planet and we need to have those people recognised,” said Waugh.

Even cricketers are at a disadvantage.

“I was fortunate to win in Monte Carlo in 2001 for the Australia cricket team, but you are right for someone like Steve Smith or Virat Kohli, who have dominated world cricket for the last 12 months, it is. It’d be nice to see one of those players nominated going forward,” he said.

Waugh was reluctant to reveal his favourite for Monday’s award. “I don’t want to say who is my top pick but nonetheless it is so very hard to pick your favourite. I have got to do extra research on those who are nominated as we get a brief on every person and team.”

The writer’s trip is sponsored by Laureus