New Delhi - An animal rights group has called for the ban of leather balls at the 2015 World Cup, and urged the head of global cricket to "step up to bat for animals and the environment".
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group has written to International Cricket Council president Sharad Pawar, asking him to abandon traditional red leather and use balls made out of synthetic materials.
"As the so-called 'Gentleman's game', cricket should be gentle on animals and the environment by making the switch to synthetic balls. You are in a unique position to create a change that would alleviate massive suffering and destruction," PETA official Poorva Joshipura wrote in the letter seen by Reuters.
PETA said cows underwent unnecessary suffering during the slaughter process, and that leather tanning involved large amounts of toxic chemicals that poisoned water.