KOCHI: Setting an example on how to evolve and adapt to a crisis, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is finding innovative ways to work around the coronavirus crisis.
The KCA will become the first state cricket unit in the country to have an online special general body meeting when they meet virtually on June 1 at 10:30 am.
To conduct a meeting of such magnitude and significance virtually requires a lot of planning and execution, and the KCA has been preparing for it for the last few months.
On Sunday, they held a mock meeting with more than thirty members on Google Meet which convinced the president of KCA Sajan Varghese to call a special general body meeting.
There is a waiting period of ten days if the president decides to call an urgent special general body meeting and the cricketing body has decided to meet at the start of next month.
"We all know the circumstances which led us to take such a decision. The world is changing because of the pandemic and we have to adapt. We had to discuss a lot of cricketing matters and a lot of decisions are pending ahead of the new season and it was important that we didn't waste any more time. The mock meeting worked out well and that encouraged us to go ahead and set up the general body meeting. I think it is historic in some sense and we are confident it will be a success," said Varghese.
Interestingly, even though he has been carrying out his presidential duties after taking charge in March, he will be officially assuming the position during a video-conference meeting, which could be a first in itself.
KCA secretary Sreejith Nair said that the sports body has got the necessary clearance to go ahead with the meeting.
"We can see that the Prime Minister is meeting the Chief Ministers through video conferences and even the Supreme Court is hearing cases through video conferences. There's no specific criterion that we have to meet in-person for a general body meeting and because of the COVID-19 situation, it is simply not possible. It is completely legitimate. This is going to be the norm going forward, at least until the situation gets better," said Nair.
KCA has also lined up online workshops for their curators, scorers and women cricketers in the coming days.
Earlier this month, the Athletics Federation of India had held its special general body meeting via video conference to become the first national sports federation in the country to do so.