England club cricketer Brian Devine has been banned for two years following his finger clicking scandal that went viral in July.

The 38-year-old Devine became known as ‘Clicky Ponting’ when a video emerged of him clicking his fingers during games in an attempt to replicate the sound of the ball snicking the bat.

While the cheating stunt did evidently fool some umpires (the team’s wicket keeper took an astonishing 31 catches in eight consecutive matches, including eight in one innings), the vision sparked fierce backlash right across the globe.

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Devine was accused of blatant cheating and his club, Saltburn CC, stood him down for the “foreseeable future”.

British media reported on Friday that Devine has now been banned from cricket for two years, including all playing, coaching, umpiring, scoring and managing junior teams.

Local cricketer Brian Devine has been banned for clicking his fingers during games in a bid to fool umpires. Credit: Frogbox

And it’s not just Devine that has copped a heavy whack with Saltburn’s second XI, who were leading the North Yorkshire and South Durham League before the drama, automatically relegated into the third division.

They will also start next season with a whopping 60-point deduction, ruling them out of a promotion next year.

It is a heavy whack and the severity of the punishment has been questioned by some.

For comparison, Steve Smith and David Warner were only banned for 12 months following the infamous sandpapergate Test in 2018.

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“I can’t help thinking this length of ban is extremely harsh. The social media criticism has already been significant punishment. A ban of two matches would have been understandable, but two years? And he can’t even coach juniors when we need as many coaches as possible,” one pundit said on social media.

And another: “That seems a bit harsh, but I’m not familiar with the full details of the story and background.”

Earlier this year controversial presenter Piers Morgan said Devine “must be the biggest cheat in cricket history”.

“How long has he been doing this? How many batsmen’s days has he ruined?” Morgan asked.

But Sam Perry and Ian Higgins from The Grade Cricketer believed the reaction was over the top and took aim at Morgan.

“For over a decade we have celebrated and benefited from the low-rent charm of club cricket’s rich, dark underbelly, alongside hundreds of thousands of people around the world,” they said.

“Of course, it would appear some members at Saltburn CC have engaged in comically sharp practice.

“But sadly, when f***wits like Piers Morgan declare to millions that ‘Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history’, all proportionality is lost, and we feel a brotherly obligation to support the club in that context.”

Of course, other fans think the long ban is appropriate.

“My village club means everything to those of us involved - cricket, camaraderie, teas, the stupid sh** they get up to after the game. We all look forward to it all week and the least we expect is that nobody will cheat - it’s not win at all costs. This guy has no place in it,” one fan said.

And another: “Whole team should be banned.”

And another: “What about his teammates ? Surely they were involved too.”

Saltburn CC issued a statement following Devine’s ban.

“The club fully participated in the disciplinary proceedings and accepts the decision of the appeal following the original decision from the League,” Saltburn CC said.

“We are now focusing on preparations for the 2027 season.”

- With The West Australian