Academies that gave Kerala wings

Baby and Co create history; will take on Vidarbha in the Ranji final starting Feb 26 in Nagpur

- FIROZ MIRZA @Chennai

THERE was a time when Kerala were forced to start their cricketing season behind other states. Southwest monsoon always extends the rainy season in the state till mid-September, delaying the season by more than two months. Though the recurring issue was severely impacting Kerala cricket with each passing year, the problem got attention only in 2005 when veteran administrator TC Mathew called a meeting to chalk out plans to improve the state of affairs. It took a few years but the meeting led to the setting up of cricket academies across the state. As these facilities also have indoor academies, Kerala eventually found a way to counter the challenges thrown by mother nature.