• #BoycottCAN trending on Twitter • Protest planned at Maitighar Mandala at 1:00pm today
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 3
Cricket Association of Nepal's decision to include rape-accused former skipper Sandeep Lamichhane in the 20-member squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup League-II Tri-series has received widespread criticism.
To protest the decision, social media users have started a #BoycottCAN campaign. They have also called people to gather tomorrow at Maitigharat 1:00pm to protest the CAN decision.
A Twitter user Basant Gautam tweeted: "By sending a person who has been charged with a criminal offence to represent the country in a popular game before the final verdict, CAN's decision conveys the message that ethics and public dignity are not important in the field of Nepali cricket."
Top Nepali Congress leaders have also condemned CAN for including a rape-accused in the national squad.
NC General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma tweeted: "I have asked the CAN president shouldn't the organisation that follows rules of the game also follow rules of justice."
Another general secretary of the NC, Gagan Thapa, condemned CAN for 'its hasty decision' to include Lamichhane in the national team when a rape case against him was sub judice in a court of law. "A person who is facing a serious charge like rape cannot and should not get privileges under any pretext," he wrote on social media.
Twitter users also condemned national cricket players for not speaking out against CAN on the issue.
#BoycottCAN is trending on Twitter.
A Twitter user, Aditya, wrote: "Let's boycott Nepali cricket team and CAN. Those who cannot oppose the inclusion of a rape-accused in the team deserve condemnation."
Lamichhane was accused of rape by a minor girl in September.
He was arrested on October 6 and remained in jail till January 13 when he was released on bail.
The court has, however, barred him from leaving Kathmandu till the final verdict in the case.
The CAN suspended Lamichhane from the national cricket team in September following an arrest warrant against him in the rape case.
But CAN board meeting held in Pokhara on Tuesday lifted the suspension on him. On Thursday evening, Sandeep was included in the closed training of the national team.
The Office of Attorney General moved the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of his bail on Tuesday. However, within hours of filing of the case, CAN revoked Lamichhane's suspension and included him in the 20-member national squad that is undergoing training for the upcoming international event.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 4, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
