Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced plans to establish and lead La Federación de Críquet de las Américas (FECA), a new regional governing body that will act as a collaborative platform to coordinate the growth of cricket across North, Central, and South America.
The move follows CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow’s recent visit to Lima, Peru, and underlines the board’s commitment to expand the sport beyond the Caribbean. As the only ICC Full Member in the Americas, CWI will take on a parental role in the new body.
“This marks a pivotal step in advancing cricket across the Americas,” 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.”
CWI’s chief executive officer, Chris Dehring, emphasised the opportunities in countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, noting that Brazil alone has 72,000 registered players, most of them women under professional contracts.
“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 also strengthen West Indies cricket by broadening our base, increasing opportunities, and deepening our regional relevance.”
Currently, two youth teams from the USA are taking part in CWI’s Rising Stars Under-19 Tournament in St. Kitts, while USA national players like Aaron Jones, Ali Khan and Shayan Jahangir have featured in the Caribbean Premier League. Additionally, four Caribbean senior teams will travel to Lima for the Bolivarian Games, which could help cricket find a foothold within the South American sporting structure. Cricket is also set to be part of the 2027 Pan American Games, where Caribbean nations with Olympic accreditation will compete.