Cricket West Indies lead efforts to form regional organization FECA to expand sport in Americas

Following Cricket West Indies President Dr. Kishore Shallow's visit to Peru, the cricketing board has delcared its intentions to form and lead La Federación de Críquet de las Américas, aimed at growing the game of cricket acorss North, Central, and South America. The Caribbean outfit is currently the only full-member of International Cricket Council in the entire region, a stark contrast from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, each of which have at least two full-member nations. While the likes of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland ascended the ranks in recent decades to gain Test-playing status, the Americas have witnessed no such significant upsurge despite the burgeoning success of the Men in Maroon who have two ODI World Cups and two T20 World Cups to their name.

“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 was quoted saying in a CWI press release.

CWI’s CEO Chris Dehring echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the large contingents of professional players in South America that are starved for opportunities to make a living from the game unlike the leading cricketing nations.

“Our efforts to expand cricket must redound positively to each country under our remit. This growth will not only uplift national programmes but will also strengthen West Indies cricket by broadening our base, increasing opportunities and deepening our regional relevance. 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.”

The cricket board already has to youth teams involved from the United States of America in the CWI Rising Stars U19 Tournament in St. Kitts, and has committed to sending four senior Caribbean teams to the Bolivarian Games, set to be hosted in Ayacucho and Lima later this year. With cricket returning to the Olympics in 2027, the Pan-American games next year are also slated to feature the sport for the first time in their history, and will include participation from the Caribbean nations that hold Olympic accreditation. 

“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 teams in the region. It also opens opportunities for players, staff and officials, and allows our coaches and technical staff to both contribute to and benefit from regional capacity building,” CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe further reinforced.