‘Clicky Ponting’ handed two-year suspension over cricket cheating scandal

What the report says

An English amateur cricketer known online as “Clicky Ponting” has been suspended for two years after a disciplinary case over alleged cheating in a North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League match. According to Al Jazeera, the player, Brian Devine, was accused of clicking his fingers while fielding in an attempt to make umpires think the batsman had edged the ball to the wicketkeeper. The clip circulated widely on social media and drew international attention earlier in the year.

The league said a three-person panel reviewed video evidence, player interviews and written statements before imposing the sanction. Under the ruling, Devine is barred from all cricket covered by the England and Wales Cricket Board from 30 September 2026 to 29 September 2028, including playing, coaching, umpiring, scoring and managing junior teams. The article says Devine and his club admitted the charges.

Saltburn Cricket Club was also fined £300 and its second XI was relegated to Division Three, with a 60-point deduction set for the 2027 season. The club appealed against the sanction before later accepting the appeal decision, according to a statement cited in the report. Al Jazeera also noted that the case caused online and in-person abuse, and that the league has now closed the formal process.