West Indies allrounder Andre Russell has been slammed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for getting clicked alongside Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Both of them were part of the recently concluded grand finale match of Global T20 Canada 2023 which had taken place on August 6, and the picture was posted by Lamichhane a couple of days later.
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A certain user on the micro-blogging platform has called it a “new low” for Russell owing to an understandable and genuine reason.
Andre Russell Slammed For Getting Clicked With Sandeep Lamichhane 6 Months After Scotland Cricketers Had Refused Shaking Hands With Him
The crux of the matter is Lamichhane’s pending investigation with regard to an alleged case of sexual coercion in which he is the accused. In September last year, a 17-year-old girl had filed a complaint against the leg-spinner, accusing him of having forced himself on her multiple times at a hotel in Kathmandu the previous month. In fact, the CCTV footage of the night from that hotel had confirmed that Lamichhane was indeed at the place for seven hours.
A couple of days after the complaint, Lamichhane was suspended by CAN (Cricket Association of Nepal) after an arrest warrant was issued against him. At the time, the 22-year-old was in West Indies partaking in Caribbean Premier League 2022.
As expected, a few days before the police had taken him into custody (October 6) at the Kathmandu airport, he had pleaded his innocence. Around three months later, in January this year, a Nepal court had released him on bail but had barred him from leaving the country. Less than a month later, even CAN had revoked the suspension of their champion player, which enabled him to partake in the Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at home in February.
Post the third match of the series in Kirtipur, Scottish players (all of them on the field), completely aware of the charges leveled against Lamichhane, had taken a bold stance of not shaking hands with him. In fact, they had congratulated the rest of the Nepali players on their 3-wicket victory.
Sandeep Lamichhane To Represent Nepal In Asia Cup 2023
Readers must note that Lamichhane’s public appearances and handshakes will increase all the more with Nepal set to participate in the Asia Cup for the first time tomorrow onward. The aforementioned X user even criticized Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan after he was clicked interacting with Lamichhane who had arrived in the country for the tournament opener against the hosts.
As for Lamichhane, he had taken to his social media handle to post pictures of himself in the flight aboard to Pakistan for the tournament as well on Monday.
It is worth of a mention that post being out on bail, Lamichhane was later granted permission to travel abroad by the Supreme Court of Nepal on February 23, for participation in a tri-series in Dubai featuring Nepal, UAE, and Papua New Guinea.
He has been, more or less, a free man since then, with the hearings over the case being deferred time and again for some reason or the other. In fact, the victim, who is being kept in a women’s shelter in Kathmandu, had attempted to die by suicide on Saturday (August 26) through a medicine overdose.
The Indian cricket team is scheduled to face Lamichhane at the Pallekele International Stadium on September 4.
