St John's [Antigua], July 10 (ANI): Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday announced their intentions to 'lead the charge in shaping, guiding and strengthening the development of the game acoss North, Central, and South America'.

A statement issud by CWI on Thursday said, 'As the sport of cricket continues its rapid growth across North, Central, and South America, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced its intent to lead the charge in shaping, guiding, and strengthening the development of the game throughout the hemisphere.'

Following an official visit by CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow to Lima, Peru - a key moment tied to broader diplomatic and sporting engagements - the organization has announced its intention to spearhead the establishment of the La Federacion de Criquet de las Americas (FECA). This proposed regional body will act as a collaborative platform to coordinate the exponential growth of cricket across the Americas, with Cricket West Indies assuming a parental role as the only ICC Full Member in the hemisphere.

President Shallow said on this initiative as quoted by a press release from CWI, '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.'

CWI's CEO, Chris Dehring, spoke about the benefits such development and expansion could have for the region.

'Our efforts to expand cricket must redound positively to each country under our remit,' he noted.

'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. 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,' he added.

CWI' s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, in highlighting the engagement already taking place with member countries in territories like Bahamas and Bermuda, emphasized the growing appetite for development partnerships across the region.'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 the regional capacity building,' he added.

Currently, two youth teams from the United States are participating in CWI's Rising Stars U19 Tournament in St. Kitts, furthering collaboration with North American neighbours.

In November, four Caribbean national senior teams will be selected to travel to Lima, the capital city of Peru to participate in the Bolivarian Games, an historic first for cricket and a symbolic entry point into the South American sporting movement.

Looking ahead to 2027, cricket is set to feature in the Pan American Games, where Caribbean nations with Olympic accreditation will compete on an international stage, aligning with cricket's reintroduction to the Olympic Games.

The proposed establishment of FECA represents a bold new chapter in cricket's evolution in the Americas--and will solidify Cricket West Indies' place as the torchbearer of the sport's future in the Western Hemisphere. (ANI)