It will come as no surprise to you that cricket balls are manufactured, using varying grades of leather. This leather is a by product from the cows skin. Cricket balls have been manufactured this way for many decades and will continue to for the foreseeable future. But, there is a campaign that seems to be gathering pace, to ban the use of cow hide in the manufacture of cricket balls.
PETA India, an animal rights organisation has lobbied the ICC to gain their support. They say cows in India are being subjected to unnecessary suffering in the production of cricket balls and ask the ICC to find a suitable alternative. I think the money could be spent on educating farmers and keepers, on the best methods of care for their cows. The cows are due to go to slaughter anyway, for their meat, so why not sell off the skin too. It would be different if the cow was only in existence for the hide to be used in cricket balls.
I do not see this campaign will change the way cricket balls are made in the near future but, I do understand that manufacturers are developing new cricket ball coverings and are looking for further testing of these balls at club level, from 2012. Better to be prepared if a ban is imposed.
