Club Cricket
Saltburn suspend player at the centre of finger-clicking controversy
Saltburn have suspended the player accused of using finger clicks to influence caught-behind decisions, with the club fully cooperating with an investigation after the footage went viral.
Saltburn are treating allegations of cheating very seriously and have suspended the player at the centre of the controversy for the “foreseeable future”.
The news comes after a Saltburn fielder allegedly clicked his fingers to get a caught-behind wicket and footage of several incidents later went viral on social media.
A first video posted on Monday evening was from Saltburn’s second XI victory over Norton in Division Two.
It showed the fielder clicking his fingers as the ball passed Norton batter Noman Shabir’s bat before wicketkeeper Josh Bowes caught it, which persuaded the umpire to give him out.
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Allegation
Saltburn, who sit 17 points clear at the top of Division Two, won the match by 159 runs.
The club have announced that they will not play their second-team fixture against Marton on Wednesday.
Their second team were due to play Marton in a cup match but they have now conceded the game in the wake of the controversial news.
Saltburn released a statement across its social media channels.
It read: “This is issued in response to the widely publicised complaint made against a Saltburn Cricket Club member and, as a consequence, against the club more generally.
“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.
“We believe that the club acted decisively as soon as the complaint and investigation were made known to us.”
PICTURE: Yui Mok/PA
Suspended
It continued: “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.
“Initial discussions have already taken place between club officials and the league.
“This has been a very distressing and stressful experience for all those concerned, and we would ask that this reality is borne in mind and that personal boundaries are respected, as we are an amateur club entirely run by volunteers.
“We will be making no further comment at this time.”
The viral video has now attracted more than seven-and-a-half million views on X.
It has also prompted several celebrities to condemn the alleged behaviour.
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