Following a Board meeting held during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in New York, and a 25th anniversary celebration attended by past and present Board members, current and ex-players and invited guests, FICA today announced:
- Its name will change to the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) with immediate effect, along with the launch of its new strategy, ‘the Global Cricketers’ Voice’; and
- The awarding of the first Tim May Medals for outstanding service to the players’ association movement in cricket, to Tim May and Richard Bevan OBE.
Name Change to World Cricketers’ Association (WCA)
Following its establishment as FICA in 1998, WCA now collectively represents the majority of the best cricketers in the world across 14 countries at global level.
The name change is accompanied by the launch of WCA’s new strategy. Whilst not deviating from its core mission, the strategy evolves WCA’s areas of focus and delivery mechanics to ensure it is fit for purpose for the future of the game. WCA’s strategy is focussed on:
- Advocating for, supporting, and providing world class services to players at global level
- Enabling and empowering players’ associations around the world
- Positively influencing the direction of the global game
- Optimising commercial value for players and powering the player movement
- Strengthening and growing our team to impact
Access WCA’s launch video HERE
Access WCA’s strategy HERE
Establishment of the Tim May Medal
In 2024 the WCA Board established the Tim May Medal as a discretionary award for recipients who have provided outstanding service to the players’ association movement in cricket. This week in New York both Tim May and Richard Bevan OBE were announced as the inaugural winners of the award. Both were central to the establishment and growth of FICA (now WCA) and in ensuring that players collectively have a voice, and a say, on matters that impact them at global level.
Tim May:
- Tim was instrumental in the formation of the ACA as its first CEO, in galvanizing the player group, and in the negotiation of the ACA’s first MOU with Cricket Australia, which established revenue sharing, personal development programs and services, paving the way for benefits players enjoy today
- Tim went on to be the first CEO of FICA and was pivotal to the early progress FICA made in establishing itself as a key voice in the game for players at global level, negotiating Squad Terms and prize money for ICC Events, including the revenue sharing model for prize money which every international player has benefitted from since
Richard Bevan OBE:
- Through his role as CEO of the PCA, a founding member of FICA, Richard played a lead role in the establishment of FICA and progress of both organisations
- Richard was central to developing the model for Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), on which he still serves as Chair today
- TEPP has provided a best practice roadmap for how almost all cricket players’ associations now protect and optimise collective player commercial rights, the platform on which FICA (now WCA) built its global commercial program
WCA CEO Tom Moffat said:
“There has never been a more important time for players to be collectively represented in their own countries, and at global level. The vast majority of the best men’s and women’s players in the world are now affiliated to WCA, and irrespective of fragmentation in the game, the players will always be the talent and its biggest asset. The name change to the World Cricketers’ Association reflects our desire to simply state and reflect our role in the game at global level.
In changing our name we acknowledge all of those who have contributed to and built FICA. Throughout its short history it has achieved a significant amount for players, their associations, and the game. We reflect on our first 25 years and the legacy of those who have built it, and look to the future of our game and collective player representation within it with optimism.”
WCA Chairman Heath Mills said:
“Our new strategy and name change reflect an evolution, not a revolution, and at its core, WCA remains the umbrella federation of domestic players’ associations. Our member players’ associations have always been, and will continue to be, central to our activities and strength, and form the governance backbone of WCA. However in more simply stating what we are, we are also acknowledging that players are increasingly able to connect with, and benefit from WCA’s work directly in countries where there is no players’ association.
On behalf of the current WCA Board I would like to thank and congratulate Tim May and Richard Bevan in particular, as the first recipients of the Tim May Medal. Every players’ association and player in the world owes them a debt of gratitude for their leadership and the foundations they laid.”
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