South-Asian participation booms in Australian cricket after recent Pakistan tour

Recent statistics from Cricket Australia reveal a shift in the most common surnames among registered players in Australian Cricket. 

Singh has surpassed Smith as the most frequent surname, with 4262 entries compared to 2364 Smiths for the 2023-24 season.

The notable increase in South-Asian involvement is highlighted by the prevalence of last names such as Khan, Patel, Sharma, and Kumar among the top 16 players out of 494 who have registered on Cricket Australia's player registration platform, "Play HQ."

The increased involvement of South-Asian players can be attributed in part to Pakistan's recent tour to Australia, which has contributed to these growing numbers.

The growth in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) cricket participation is evident, with a 36% increase since the pre-COVID season in 2019/20.

James Quarmby, CA’s Head of Participation, emphasized the importance of multicultural involvement in all aspects of the game, expressing hopes for greater attendance at matches involving Pakistan and India.

“The continuing growth of registrations from multicultural communities is a testament to the progress being made toward our goal of being a Sport for All.  

“We want people from multicultural communities to play a major role in all parts of the game at community and elite level, whether that is as players, coaches, officials, administrators or fans. 

“With Pakistan coming for a white ball series and India’s men’s and women’s teams both in Australia next summer, we hope the surge in registrations from multicultural communities will be reflected in even bigger attendances at those matches."