Nepal suspends former cricket captain Sandeep Lamichhane following verdict of sexual assault
The 23-year-old leg-spinner Lamichhane was formerly Nepal’s cricket poster child, and his on-field accomplishments raised awareness of the game in the Himalayan nation.
A day after Sandeep Lamichhane was found guilty of rape and given an eight-year prison term, the cricket authority of Nepal banned the former captain and top player on Thursday.
The 23-year-old leg-spinner Lamichhane was formerly Nepal’s cricket poster child, and his on-field accomplishments raised awareness of the game in the Himalayan nation.
He was charged with raping a young lady at a Kathmandu hotel in 2022, but he was released on bond and rejoined the team to play in international competitions.
The president of the Cricket Association of Nepal, Chatur Bahadur Chand, issued a statement saying, “We inform you that Sandeep Lamichhane has been suspended from any kind of domestic and international cricket activities as he has been found guilty and sentenced.”
Lamichhane was not present in court on Wednesday for the sentence and is not in detention.
Saroj Ghimire, his attorney, said AFP that he “will appeal the decision” at a higher court.
The victim of rape claimed to have been underage when the crime was committed, but the court previously determined that she was actually eighteen.
After a protracted trial that had allowed Lamichhane to resume his athletic career, he was found guilty of rape in December.
Lamichhane was playing in the Caribbean Premier League in Jamaica when the police issued an arrest warrant for him in September 2022. At first, he did not come back from Jamaica.
After being detained and stripped of his position as national captain, he was released on bond and Nepal removed his playing suspension.
Because of this, he was able to continue playing for his country in the 2023 Asia Cup as well as the World Cup qualifications.
In hilly Nepal, cricket is not as popular as it is in other parts of South Asia.
However, the sport has been gaining popularity, and in 2018 the world governing body granted Nepal one-day international status.
Being the most sought-after Nepali cricket player in the world’s most lucrative T20 franchise competitions was largely due to Lamichhane.
His major break came when he was scooped up for the Indian Premier League, the world’s wealthiest cricket event, in 2018.