Shabash! Sanspareils Greenlands Nabs PETA India Award for Professional Level Leather-Free Cricket Ball
An Innovation in Business Award is on its way from PETA India to major cricket equipment brand Sanspareils Greenlands (SG) for its groundbreaking development of an animal skin–free professional-level cricket ball. SG CEO Paras Anand introduced the ball, dubbed the Super 50, noting that it will last longer and perform more consistently than old-fashioned balls. It’s available for purchase on SG’s website.
“Super 50 represents a new thinking in cricket — where technology, performance, and empathy coexist. We thank PETA India for recognising this effort and encouraging responsible innovation in sport”
– Paras Anand, CEO, Sanspareils Greenlands
Traditionally, cow skin has been preferred for cricket balls. One cow hide sheet only makes three dozen balls. Cows are fiercely protective mothers who exhibit complex social bonds and experience empathy for other members of their herd. They have excellent memories and can navigate complex Indian city roads. When used for leather, these animals are often crammed into vehicles in such large numbers that their bones break. Slaughterhouse workers cut the throats of those who survive this ordeal in full view of other animals before dismembering and skinning them, often while they’re still conscious. Meanwhile, run-off from leather tanneries contaminates rivers and streams, harming all life there. Working in leather tanneries has also been linked to cancer, respiratory infections, and other illnesses in humans.
