Former Australia cricketer Lisa Sthalekar has become the first female president of FICA, the sport’s international player’s association. Her appointment was made at a meeting of the organisation’s executive committee in Switzerland, the first in-person meeting since the start of the Covid pandemic.
Sthalekar joins a shortlist of former cricketers including Barry Richards, Jimmy Adams and Vikram Solanki to have held the post of FICA president.
Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA)
The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) is an organisation that co-ordinates the activities of all the national players’ associations that represent professional cricketers. Founded in 1998, FICA serves as the voice of the players within international cricket as it has a representative on the International Cricket Council’s Cricketing “Playing” Committee, although its relationship with the ICC has not always been harmonious.
FICA Members
| Country | Association |
| Australia | Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) |
| Bangladesh | Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) |
| England and Wales | Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA) |
| South Africa | South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan Cricketers Association (SLCA) |
| West Indies | West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) |
Objectives of FICA
- To promote the establishment of professional cricketers’ associations in countries where none currently exist.
- To develop communication between these associations across the world, encouraging contact between them so that they speak with one voice on matters affecting cricket.
- To ensure that individual associations are recognised by their domestic governing bodies and the ICC.
- Through their local governing bodies, cricketers should have an input to all decisions affecting the professional game.
- To protect the commercial interests of members of FICA.To assist individual associations to raise finance to ensure the development of projects which benefit their members, present and past.