Saltburn Cricket Club have suspended the player at the centre of the 'Clicky Ponting' cheating scandal for the 'foreseeable future' after allegations of cheating emerged from a second XI match.
Incident Details
The controversy surrounds a fixture against Norton in Division Two of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League (NYSDL). A fielder was accused of clicking his fingers as the ball passed Norton batter Noman Shabir's bat, prompting a caught-behind appeal by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes. The umpire gave Shabir out, and Saltburn went on to win by 159 runs.
Footage of the incident went viral on social media, amassing over seven-and-a-half million views on X. Several celebrities condemned the behaviour online.
Club Response
Saltburn have announced that they will not play their second-team fixture against Marton on Wednesday, conceding the cup match in light of the allegations. A club statement said: 'We are treating this allegation with the utmost seriousness and, as a family-centric club, we are fully cooperating with the NYS League’s investigation.'
The statement added: 'The player at the centre of the complaint has been suspended and will not play again for the club this season or in the foreseeable future, pending the outcome of this investigation.' The club described the situation as 'very distressing and stressful' and asked for personal boundaries to be respected, noting they are an amateur club run by volunteers.
