How young is too young?

Our Steyning rep at the Sussex League meeting on Tuesday reported various updates, but one in particular caught my eye:

"There has been a change on the laws on the younger junior age groups playing in open age cricket (adult cricket). Basically, no U12's in adult cricket, U13's only if they have been signed off by a level 2 coach and have written parental consent. It was stressed at the meeting that all of the above directives and guidelines apply to all Sussex League games."

Why would anyone come up with that law? It must be the same people who came up with the fact that under 18s mustn't change at the same time as over 18s meaning that, in theory, 2 of last year's Steyning 1st team should have been treated as outsiders and told to change seperately!

Sachin Tendulkar was playing Test cricket at 16 and I've been told (can't verify this - sorry!) that Eoin Morgan scored a hundred in the Middlesex Premier League age 16, so I can't imagine a low-level club game at 11 would have phased them. And at the other end of the skill spectrum, even I was bowling in the OMT 3rd XI aged 11! I would argue that all players need to be stretched to reach maximum performance, so why anyone needs to create this law is beyond me!