Cricket West Indies (CWI) is leading the effort to establish La Federación de Criquet de las Américas (FECA) to promote cricket in North, Central, and South America.
FECA will serve as a collaborative platform to oversee the growth of cricket in the Americas, with CWI playing a prominent role as the sole ICC Full Member in the region.
The initiative follows an official visit by CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow to Lima, Peru.
“This marks a pivotal step in advancing cricket across the Americas.”
“Cricket West Indies embraces its responsibility not only to the Caribbean but to the wider region. We recognise the importance of structure, collaboration, and a unified vision to unlock the immense potential that exists throughout the Americas,” Dr. Shallow said.
CWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Chris Dehring, also hailed the initiative. “Our efforts to expand cricket must redound positively to each country under our remit.”
“This growth will not only uplift national programs but will also strengthen West Indies cricket by broadening our base, increasing opportunities and deepening our regional relevance,” Dehring said.
“With the emergence and development of cricketing hubs in areas such as Brazil, with 72,000 registered players, most of them women under professional contracts, along with Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, this region is ripe for meaningful engagement.”
Meanwhile, CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, emphasised the growing appetite for regional development partnerships. “Including teams from the Americas in our tournaments brings clear mutual benefits.”
“It expands our competitions, giving our players more games and exposure to unfamiliar opposition, while providing valuable match experience for developing regional teams. It also opens opportunities for players, staff, and officials, allowing our coaches and technical staff to contribute to and benefit from regional capacity building,” Bascombe said.
Two youth teams from the United States are currently competing in CWI’s Rising Stars Under-19 tournament in St. Kitts.
Four Caribbean national senior teams will be selected to participate in the Bolivarian Games in Lima, Peru, marking a historic moment for cricket’s entry into the South American sporting movement.
Cricket is scheduled to be included in the Pan American Games in 2027, coinciding with cricket’s return to the Olympic Games. This will allow Caribbean nations with Olympic accreditation to showcase their skills on an international platform.
