According to reports from cricnepal.com, demonstrators gathered outside the Prime Minister’s building in Baluwatar and planned further protests outside the US embassy to exert pressure on authorities for the issuance of Lamichhane’s visa.
The visa denial comes after Lamichhane was acquitted of a rape case earlier this month by the Patan High Court, overturning the decision of the Kathmandu District Court.
Following the court’s ruling, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) lifted Lamichhane’s suspension, clearing the cricketer to secure a spot in Nepal’s World Cup squad. However, hopes were dashed when he was denied a US visa on May 22.
Taking to social media to share his disappointment, Lamichhane expressed his regret over the visa denial for the T20 World Cup happening in the USA and West Indies.
The leg-spinner played a pivotal role in Nepal’s qualification for the tournament, emerging as the team’s leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers.
Despite the setback, Lamichhane’s inclusion in Nepal’s T20 World Cup squad remains a priority for cricket officials. Chatur Bahadur Chand, president of the Cricket Association of Nepal, revealed efforts to lobby the embassy through the Nepal government in hopes of securing Lamichhane’s participation.
While Nepal’s cricket team has already arrived in the US and begun preparations for the tournament, the absence of Lamichhane poses a significant challenge. The team played a warm-up fixture against Canada on May 27, suffering a defeat, and is scheduled to face hosts USA in a second practice game on May 30 before their campaign opener against the Netherlands on June 4.
With the T20 World Cup set to commence next Saturday, co-hosted by the United States and West Indies, Nepal face a race against time to resolve the visa issue and finalize their squad ahead of the tournament. Any alterations to the squad would require approval from the ICC‘s event technical committee, posing further complications for Nepal’s preparations.
(With agencies inputs)