Cricket in Australia
A record 1,311,184 people played cricket across Australia in 2015–16, an 8.5 per cent increase on 2014–15 – placing cricket at No.1 as the current top participation sport in Australia. Women participation also reached record figures in 2015–16, growing nine percent to 314,936 players. According to Cricket Australia's annual report of 2014–15, 1,208,360 Australians played formal, organised cricket during the year, an increase of nine percent over the previous year. Separately, official audience data shows that 93.6% of Australians watched at least some cricket on TV in 2010–11 calendar year.
Cameron Bancroft
As a result of a Cricket Australia investigation in to a ball tampering incident during the Third Test against South Africa in March, 2018, Bancroft and two others were charged with bringing the game into disrepute by Cricket Australia on 27 March 2018 (South African Standard Time), suspended, and sent home from the tour. On 28 March 2018, as a result of his involvement in the ball tampering incident, Cricket Australia banned Bancroft from all international and domestic cricket for 9 months, and he will not be considered for a leadership role in Australian cricket until March 2020. Bancroft made his return to cricket on 30 December 2018, playing for the Perth Scorchers in the 2018–19 Big Bash League season.