In a press release issued on Thursday, Chatur Bahadur Chand, Chairman of CAN, announced that the rape-convicted player has been removed from the national team and will no longer represent the nation in any game format.
This decision comes a day after the Kathmandu High Court sentenced the spinner to an 8-year jail term following his guilty verdict in a rape case. The verdict, delivered by the bench of Shishir Raj Dhakal, includes an 8-year imprisonment, compensation, and penalties, after a hearing on Wednesday.
Previously, the Kathmandu District Court had indicted Lamichhane in the rape case, with the court repeatedly pausing the hearing as Lamichhane had traveled to Zimbabwe to participate in the World Cup qualifiers. Despite spending a few months behind bars, he was released on bail in January and permitted to travel abroad.
The Patan High Court overturned the Kathmandu District Court's order to place Lamichhane in judicial custody, citing insufficient grounds to keep him detained. He was released on bail of Rs 2 million the next day.
Lamichhane had also appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking permission to travel with the national team to the UAE for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 matches against the UAE and Papua New Guinea at the end of February.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Lamichhane consistently denied the rape allegations in statements to the police.
