Indian Restaurant Withdraws Sponsorship As "Clicking" Scandal Engulfs English Cricket

The viral cheating scandal in English club cricket has shocked fans all round the world. A video circulating on social media seemed to show a fielder from Saltburn Cricket Club's Second XI clicking his fingers to replicate the sound of a bat edge, resulting in batters being caught behind despite the fact that the bat and ball had no contact. As the video gathered traction, the captain of Middlesbrough Cricket Club's Second XI entered the conversation, claiming that similar situations had occurred on several times and had even harmed the performances and confidence of teenage players.

The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket Leagues are presently investigating the incident, and Saltburn player Brian Devine has come under fire for reportedly clicking his fingers in a viral video. Fans have also been unrelenting in their criticism, giving him the nickname "Clicky Ponting" - a play on Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting.

The situation surrounding Devine continues to intensify, since he is not only under investigation but has also apparently lost the support of his local sponsor, an Indian eatery named Spices.

Renowned TV host Piers Morgan took to X (formerly Twitter) and labelled Devine "the biggest cheat" in cricket history. "Unbelievable. Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history," he wrote.

"It's clear what's been happening, and it's not confined to one game. I was at the other end when one of our players was dismissed, but our batsman was adamant he was nowhere near the ball. We had three given out caught behind that day, and all of them said they hadn't touched the ball," Devine's rival player wrote as per The Sun.