BANNED

An amateur cricketer has been banned for two years for his role in the ‘Clicky Ponting’ cheating scandal that made headlines across the globe.

Brian Devine, fielding at slip, clicked his fingers to mimic the noise of the ball taking the edge of the bat.

Devine, playing for Saltburn second XI, was filmed in a North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League (NYSD) Division Two match against Norton in July.

He has now been banned from all cricket under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board until 29 September 2028.

Saltburn’s second XI have also been relegated from Division Two and will start the 2027 season in Division Three with a 60-point deduction. The club has been fined £300.

In a statement, the NYSD confirmed it has received complaints relating to the conduct of Devine and Saltburn in multiple matches.

Both the player and the club admitted the charges. Devine accepted his punishment, while Saltburn appealed against theirs.

Although Devine was the only player sanctioned, the NYSD was of the belief that other members of the Saltburn team were involved.

“In late July, the League received complaints about the alleged conduct of a Saltburn CC second XI player in NYSD Division Two matches and commenced an investigation with the co-operation of Saltburn CC,” said the statement.

“The investigation ran over several weeks and included player interviews, written statements and a detailed review of video footage.”

In footage of the game between Saltburn and Norton, Devine appears to click his fingers as the ball passes Noman Shabir’s bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes. Saltburn appeal and the umpire gives Shabir out.

The clip went viral on social media, attracting media attention across the world.

Now, following the investigation and disciplinary process, Devine is not permitted to play, coach, umpire, score or manage junior teams for the duration of his two-year ban.

The relegation of Saltburn’s second XI from Division Two means a reprieve for Middlesbrough’s second XI after they finished 11th in the 12-team league.

Saltburn’s first XI had already been relegated from the NYSD Premier League following their 11th-place finish.

“The League recognises the strain this has placed on many people, especially those who were abused online and in person,” added the NYSD. “We ask everyone to respect that the formal process is now complete.”

BBC Sport has contacted Saltburn CC and Devine for comment.

Vinicius will miss El Clasico on October 25, the first of his four-match ban for pulling Saliba’s hair in La Liga.

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior will miss the upcoming match against Barcelona in the Spanish league after being issued a four-match suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair during a La Liga game last week.

The Brazilian forward will miss Madrid’s next four league fixtures, including the highly anticipated October 25 El Clasico against fierce rivals and league champions Barcelona.

The Spanish federation’s disciplinary committee announced the ban on Wednesday after Vinicius received the red card against Villarreal last week.

The number seven thought he had scored Real’s second goal in the match on Saturday, but his effort was disallowed after a video assistant referee (VAR) review found he should be dismissed for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair in the build-up.

The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee confirmed the Brazilian will be banned for several matches, including the visit to face league leaders Barca, because of both the red card and his subsequent protests.

After the match, Vinicius, ⁠⁠⁠⁠who came on in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠52nd minute and was red-carded 20 minutes later, posted on social media, saying, “sorry to the team and the ⁠⁠⁠⁠fans”.

Vinicius was celebrating after scoring when referee Isidro Diaz de Mera was called by the VAR to review the moments before his goal. The referee waved off the goal and pulled out a red card for Vinicius, who also goes by his nickname Vini Jr.

When he thought Vinicius had doubled the lead, Real manager Jose Mourinho ran to join the celebrations with his players.

But moments later, Vinicius was left livid by the referee’s decision. He screamed at Diaz de Mera while his teammates tried to calm him down as he left the field.