Since Thursday, social media in Nepal has been in a frenzy after Nepal’s cricket governing body, the Nepal Cricket Association (CAN), including Sandeep Lamichhane a cricketer accused of raping a minor, in the Nepal-Namibia-Scotland tri-series team, which takes place from February 14-21 at the Tribhuvan University Ground.
After the team announcement, cricket’s governing body is largely receiving criticism from people from different walks of life, while CAN has gone on the defensive. While CAN says he is included in the squad because he is needed, ostensibly to save the country’s ODI status that is on the line following a poor performance, opponents say he will instead tarnish the global image of Nepal cricket.
‘The need for the team’
On October 6, exactly one month after a rape complaint was filed against him, Sandeep Lamichhane was arrested at Kathmandu airport. The Kathmandu District Court sent him to judicial custody to continue the case. But, on January 12, the Patan High Court released him on bail of 2 crores, which still prevents him from traveling abroad until the final verdict.
According to CAN, Lamichhane was included in the call because the court order has not prohibited him from playing the game.
“Respecting the court order, we will try to use the potential of Lamichhane as much as possible,” says CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand.
From the beginning of the Sandeep Lamichhane rape case, the CAN did not seem committed to justice but rather negligent. For example, the Attorney General’s appeal hearing against the High Court’s order to release Lamichhane was scheduled for Friday (February 3), but the CAN decided to lift its stay a day early.
Secondly, CAN also failed to conduct any kind of investigation even after finding Lamichhane spending a night away from closed camp ahead of the ODI series in Kenya in August 2022.
However, CAN Acting Secretary Durga Raj Pathak says: “It is our responsibility to protect our children. CAN is the guardian of Lamichhane. Respecting the judicial order, we have decided to include him in the team”.
CAN says it also studied international practices and consulted with the ICC and the Attorney General’s Office before lifting Sandeep Lamichhane’s suspension.
“Everyone responded positively, and the national team also needed Lamichhane. There is no malicious intent behind our decision,” adds Pathak.
‘An insult to the nation’
But, opponents think otherwise.
Activist Mohna Ansari says the Nepalese government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for violence against women, but CAN, which enjoys government facilities, has flouted the policy. “Can do it?” she asks
“CAN officials are violating the constitution and considering its statute as a law. This is totally wrong,” says Ansari.
The country’s pride will suffer if such accused Sandeep Lamichhane, charged with a serious criminal offence, is included in the team, she says.
There are several similar voices on social media.
“Go to hell CAN for normalizing rape!” tweets activist Hima Bista. “Including an accused rapist in the national team is the worst form of gender violence and thanks to the National Council of Women and all the leaders, especially the women leaders, for keeping silent about this! #BoycottCAN”.
Meanwhile, many Nepalis have decided not to support their own cricket team this time due to the inclusion of Sandeep Lamichhane. they have been running the #boycottCAN campaign.
Swarna Tamrakar is one of them. She tweets, “I will stand by my decision not to support the Nepal cricket team as long as they have a rape defendant on the team. #boycottCAN”
“#BoycottCAN This team is not my Nepal national team,” writes another Twitter user, Niroj Upreti.
Lamichhane used to be everyone’s favorite cricketer in the country but now it has been a different story.
