The organization responsible for overseeing cricket in England and Wales, the England and Wales Cricket Board, has recommended that parents and clubs discontinue the use of plastic balls provided by the All Stars and Dynamos programs. This decision was made due to concerns about the chemicals used in the composition of the balls.

Since 2017, programs have been in place to engage youth aged five to eight and eight to 11. These programs have provided free playing gear and coaching. However, recent safety checks have revealed high levels of phthalates in the balls, which are known to enhance the longevity of plastic materials.

The Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards were notified. However, neither organization has recommended that the items in question be recalled. The ECB has sent letters to its partner clubs, suggesting that they dispose of the items.

An official statement stated: “After conducting our own tests, we discovered that the phthalates in these products exceeded the allowed levels set by regulations. To gain a deeper understanding of the matter, we enlisted a third-party professional company to conduct a risk assessment on the cricket balls. The assessment did not find any direct risk to participants in our programs related to these balls.”

“Our top priority is the safety of all participants, volunteers, and staff. As a precautionary measure, we recommend discontinuing the use of the balls. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused by the subpar quality of the affected products and any resulting concerns.”

Additional testing is being performed on a training batting tee and PVC banners utilized in the programs, however the durable plastic bats and stumps have both been authorized. As an alternative supplier has not yet been determined, teams may use tennis balls instead to finish their All Stars and Dynamos sessions.

Source: theguardian.com