Cricket West Indies has quietly set the wheels in motion for La Federación de Críquet de las Américas, or FECA for short, a body meant to pull together the scattered strands of the game across North, Central and South America.
“This marks a pivotal step in advancing cricket across the Americas,” CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow said. “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.”
The plan took shape after Shallow’s recent stop-over in Lima, Peru, a visit designed to test the appetite for organised cricket on the western side of the continent. Because the West Indies are the only ICC Full Member in the neighbourhood, the board will act as FECA’s guiding hand – something of a parent, as officials keep putting it.
Chief executive Chris Dehring pointed to raw numbers to show why the timing feels right. Brazil already lists roughly 72,000 registered players, many of them women on professional contracts; Mexico, Colombia and Argentina are moving along similar lines, if at different speeds. “Our efforts to expand cricket must redound positively to each country under our remit,” Dehring said. “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.” In the same breath he added, “With the emergence and development of cricketing hubs in areas such as Brazil … this region is ripe for meaningful engagement.”
Some first steps are already visible. Two USA age-group sides are in St Kitts this month, mixing it with regional teams at the Rising Stars Under-19 tournament. Senior USA names – Aaron Jones, Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir – have been regulars in the CPL for a while now, and four Caribbean senior squads will travel to Lima later in the year for the Bolivarian Games. That event, modest as it sounds, could be the gateway to cricket’s place in the broader South American sporting calendar.
Looking further down the track, cricket is pencilled into the programme for the 2027 Pan American Games. Caribbean nations holding Olympic accreditation are expected to line up there, which would give FECA’s early work a public platform just two years after its launch.
Much of this remains on paper, and challenges – money, facilities, player depth – will stretch resources. Even so, CWI’s willingness to share expertise, coaching pathways and, not least, its full-member voice at the ICC feels significant. If nothing else, it signals that growth beyond the Caribbean is no longer just an interesting idea.
