KATHMANDU: The Cricket Association of Nepal has decided to consult lawyers before taking a decision after the national cricket team skipper Sandeep Lamichhane was accused of raping a minor.
The sporting fraternity remained in a state of shock after a 17-year-old girl on Tuesday filed an FIR against Lamichhane, accusing the 25-year-old cricketer of rape at a hotel on August 21, on the eve of the team's departure to Nairobi for a five-match Twenty20 international and a three-match oneday series against Kenya.
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Lamichhane led the team to a 3-2 victory in T20Is and was also declared the player of the series. The globe-trotting cricketer then left for the West Indies to participate in the Caribbean Premier League, with vice-captain Rohit Kumar Paudel leading Nepal to a 3-0 win over Kenya in the limited-over series.
CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand said the cricket governing body was not going to take any decision based on media reports. "We came to know about the incident through media and we are not going to react to it for now. We will discuss it in the board meeting once we get a formal letter from the authorities concerned and take necessary decisions," said Chand, who is arriving in Kathmandu on Thursday for the cricket tournament under the ninth National Games.
"As it is a legal issue, we will consult our lawyers before deciding on Lamichhane's captaincy or spot in the national team," he said.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 8, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
