(Cricket News) The leg-spinner from Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane has been denied visa to the United States of America for the second time. His visa rejection has now forced him miss out of the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The Nepal government and the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) intervened and did all that they could have for Lamichhane’s visa approval but it proved to be all in vain. His initial visa request was turned down last week and the second attempt for an approval has again proved to be a failure.
“Despite taking necessary initiatives, along with the diplomatic note, from the government of Nepal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Council, CAN and International Cricket Council (ICC) for cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane’s visit to participate in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies, the US Embassy has expressed its inability to give travel permission (visa) to national player Lamichhane to play the World Cup,” CAN said in a statement.
The board has however promised that they would stay committed to get Lamichhane a US visa for his future travel to that part of the world.
“The US Embassy in Kathmandu and other US consular posts around the world have made a concerted effort to ensure that members of national cricket teams who qualify for the appropriate visa class are able to travel in time to compete in the World Cup,” a spokesperson of the US Embassy in Kathmandu said last week, according to Kathmandu Post. “We cannot comment on individual visa cases as visa records are confidential under US law.”
Lamichhane has been a crucial part of the Nepal side and has played an integral role in the development of the Nepal side in world cricket. He has however been involved in controversies over some serious allegations against him.
He was arrested in October 2022 after being accused of raping an 18-year old girl. Following the arrest he was immediately suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). After a trial in January 2024, he was found guilty only to be acquitted on appeal by the Patan High Court in May, because of “a lack of evidence”, post which CAN allowed him to resume playing.
Nepal have two world cup games scheduled in the US, against Netherlands on June 7 in Dallas, and against Sri Lanka in Lauderhill in Florida on June 11. Post these games they would move to the Caribbean to complete their league stage.
