Cricket in Australia
In 2007, "The Age" reported that a survey by Sweeney Sports had found that 69% of the Australian public have an interest in cricket, second to none. Cricket is often known as Australia's national sport due to its equal popularity in all parts of the country. Cricket is also a mass participation sport in Australia: a census conducted on behalf of Cricket Australia found that in the 2003–04 season there were 471,329 participants in Australian cricket programmes and competitions, including 47,780 female participants.
In 2015–16, a record 1,300,000 Australians played formal, organised cricket during the year, an increase of nine percent over the previous year, making cricket Australia's biggest participant sport.
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.