Updated June 8th, 2021 at 17:41 IST
Ex-Delhi Capitals spinner Sandeep Lamichhane slams Nepal govt over delay in UK visa
Lamichhane recently took to his official Facebook handle to slam the Nepalese government as he raised concerns regarding the future of cricket in his country.
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Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, who is one of the few players from Associate Nations to feature in big domestic tournaments across the world, has lashed out at his government for delaying his visa application, which eventually cost him his place in England's T20 Blast. Lamichhane was supposed to travel to the United Kingdom for the upcoming edition of T20 Blast, however, due to issues pertaining to his visa application, the young spinner was dropped from the County side Worcestershire. New Zealand's Ish Sodhi has been brought in as Lamichhane's replacement.
'Not getting a clear answer'
The 20-year-old recently took to his official Facebook handle to slam the Nepalese government as he raised concerns regarding the future of cricket in his country. Lamichhane expressed disappointment over the issue and lashed out at government officials. He spoke in Nepali, that loosely translated in English as: "I am not really happy with the situation around here". Lamichhane further accused the government of not appreciating athletes like him in the country. Earlier, the former Delhi Capitals bowler had called out government officials for not giving him a "clear answer" regarding his visa application.
Any leads in @VFSGlobal Nepal? It's been more than a month since I applied for my UK visa to participate in #T20Blast & #TheHundred. My flight day is approaching and every time I call the office to get updates, I never get a clear answer. I know these are trying times.....
— Sandeep Lamichhane (@Sandeep25) May 25, 2021
and we athletes are just doing our bit to keep the world entertain in these difficult times. Any support on this will be highly appreciated. @UKinNepal @NicolaPollittUK @PM_Nepal @dhbhanu @PradeepgyawaliK 🙏
— Sandeep Lamichhane (@Sandeep25) May 25, 2021
Too late now.
— Sandeep Lamichhane (@Sandeep25) June 4, 2021
As a direct result of the delay, Lamichhane has been released by the County side. He later shared a cryptic tweet saying "Too late now". Earlier, Worcestershire chairman Paul Pridgeon had confirmed that the Nepal cricketer was going to miss the first few games due to passport and visa issues, and hence he has been replaced by Sodhi. However, it has now been learnt that Lamichhane's visa issue has been resolved by the government and the spinner can travel to the UK for the inaugural edition of The Hundred, where he has been picked by Oval Invincibles.
Sandeep Lamicchane made his debut in the 2018 season of the Indian Premier League with the Delhi Capitals. However, after not finding a place in the whole IPL 2020 season, he was released by the Delhi Capitals team in 2021. Fans were surprised when the leg-spin bowler went unsold in the IPL 2021 season despite having a base price of just INR 40 lakhs.
IMAGE: SandeepLamichhane/Twitter
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Published June 8th, 2021 at 17:34 IST
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