Please see below for an update from the England and Wales Cricket Board regarding All Stars and Dynamos:
The ECB has recently conducted testing which has shown that a number of items used in our programmes, including the All Stars Cricket and Dynamos Cricket balls and Dynamos batting tee, contain a group of chemicals widely used in plastics called phthalates.
The independent testing we conducted has found that the phthalates in these items were found to be at levels in excess of those permitted by relevant regulations.
To better understand the issue, we then instructed an external expert company to conduct a risk assessment in relation to the cricket balls which has not identified any direct risk to participants in the programmes in relation to these balls.
Both Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards have been informed of this issue in relation to the cricket balls, and neither has indicated a
need to recall the balls already in circulation from previous years’ programmes.
We will update if a recall is required for any items.
However, the safety of participants, volunteers and staff is our priority, and out of an abundance of caution, we would advise that the balls should no longer be used.
Further risk assessments are being carried out in relation to the Dynamos Cricket batting tee and the National Programmes PVC banners and we will provide updates on the outcome of these (and any other items which require a risk assessment following independent testing) in due course.
The Dynamos Cricket batting tee and the National Programme PVC banners should no longer be used.
We are very sorry that the affected products haven’t met the standards we’d expect, and for any concern this may cause.
The ECB has arranged independent testing for the bats and stumps given out to programme participants, and can confirm these do not have the same issue, and therefore can continue to be used.
Mindful that club kit is also distributed to the centres providing our National Programmes, the ECB has also arranged for testing for all other plastic items included in the kit bags given to providers.
We are awaiting independent test results for some of these items but can confirm that the bat, stumps and cones have been tested and they do not have the same issue and therefore can continue to be used.
We know how much families value our National Programmes, and particularly the equipment we have been able to provide through All Stars to give children their first taste of cricket.
We have been working hard to explore options with suppliers but unfortunately we will not be able to offer bats, balls and bags to participants in this year’s All Stars programme.
We are reducing the cost of the All Stars programme as a result and are working with clubs and other centres to offer support and advice.
We want to send our apologies to all All Stars and Dynamos participants, clubs and centres impacted by this and hope we can resolve the situation as soon as possible.
