Supreme Court Lifts Travel Ban On Nepal's Star Leg-Spinner

image-lentgiixSandeep Lamichhane is Nepal's leading bowler (Twitter)

Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane's travel ban was lifted by the Supreme Court on February 27, thereby allowing him to participate in the Cricket World Cup League 2 triangular series in UAE. This followed a legal dispute where the High Court had ordered a travel ban on Lamichhane as he faced charges of sexual coercion of a minor.

Lamichhane's petition to lift the ban was initially rejected by a single bench of the Supreme Court. However, the Attorney General's Office moved to the apex court to challenge the High Court order, and a division bench eventually ruled in the cricketer's favor.

The leg spinner's inclusion in the Nepal squad for the tournament will be a major boost for the team, given his impressive record of 55 wickets in Cricket World Cup League 2, making him the highest wicket-taker for Nepal and ranking him third on the overall list of wicket-takers.

The star bowler's legal troubles, which had led to the travel ban, were related to allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor in September last year. The person had filed a complaint with the police, and Lamichhane was subsequently arrested in October when he returned to Nepal to face the charges. Despite the severity of the allegations, the 22-year-old was released on bail after paying a sum of Rs 2 million.

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court in favour of the leggie may be seen as a relief for the cricketer, who was initially left out of Nepal's provisional squad for the tournament. The lifting of the travel ban on Lamichhane is a significant development for the cricketer, who can now continue to participate in international cricket while also addressing the legal issues that remain unresolved.

Nepal squad for UAE-PNG tri-series: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh (wk), Dipendra Singh Airee, Gyanendra Malla, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bhim Sharki, Shyam Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Pratis GC, Gulshan Jha, Aarif Sheikh, Sandeep Lamichhane