The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has lifted the suspension of it's former national skipper and rape-accused Sandeep Lamichhane. As informed by CAN board member Birendra Bahadur Chand, an executive committee meeting of the cricket governing body held in Pokhara on Tuesday (January 31) decided to lift the ban on Lamichhane.
"The board had taken disciplinary action against him and suspended him. The new decision to lift the suspension will allow him to play games," Chand said.
Meanwhile, office spokesman Sanjiv Raj Regmi said,"Nepal's attorney general had a day earlier filed an appeal seeking Lamichhane's return to custody because the decision to release him on bail was “flawed”.
"We have asked the Supreme Court to overturn the high court's decision. An accused of any criminal offence that could lead to the prison term of more than three years must stay in custody," Regmi added.
However, the Himalayan republic's top law officer sought to have Lamichhane sent back to custody on rape charges.
The 22-year-old cricketer is Nepal's most high-profile cricketer, having featured in T20 leagues in most parts of the world, including in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Talking about the case, a 17-year-old girl, on September 6, 2022, filed a complaint against the then-captain Sandeep and accused him of raping her. Two days after the formal complaint, the Kathmandu police received an arrest warrant against him.
The very day, CAN suspended Lamichhane from the team. The following day, the star Nepal cricketer announced he was leaving his CPL team and would return home soon.
