In a bid to express 'silent protest', Scotland's Cricket Team refused to shake hands after the completion of the match with cricketer Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane. The incident took place after the third match of the ongoing ICC's Cricket World Cup League 2 series on Friday, February 17 in Kirtipur. The team shook hands with every other Nepal player after the game, but pointedly refused to do so with Lamichhane. Now, Sandeep Lamichhane no handshake video is doing rounds on social media with fans expressing their different opinions. Notably, it is not the first time Cricketing Teams have refused to shake hands with Sandeep Lamichhane. Earlier in the competition, Namibian players also refused to shake Lamichhane's hand. Now, the question arises why cricketing tams around the world are choosing this silent way of protest? The answer is Sandeep Lamichhane rape case.
As per reports, Sandeep Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of sexual coercion. Lamichhane was cleared to play in the series which also involves Namibia, after CAN (Cricket Association Nepal) lifted a suspension on the granting of his bail. The refusal to shake hands is the culmination of simmering tension among Scotland and Namibia's players over Lamichhane's presence. In an earlier game, Namibia's players had chosen to fist-bump Nepal's players - including Lamichhane - but refused to shake hands post-game.
As per ESPNCricinfo, Lamichhane was made aware of the protest ahead of time. Notably, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) lifted the player's suspension and included him in a training camp ahead of the series, sparking widespread outrage in Nepal. For the unaware, Lamichhane was arrested in October of last year while playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and he denied the charges in a Facebook post. According to the report, the presence of the cricketer in the tri-series has sparked outrage among Namibian and Scottish players, who have both issued strong statements condemning gender-based violence.
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Breaking: Sandeep Lamichhane was so disgusted by @CricketScotland players for playing against a team with a rape accused in it that he refused to shake hands with them pic.twitter.com/4nw3WJlL6n
— S̶a̶r̶c̶a̶s̶m̶ 🇳🇵 (@SarcasmNpl) February 17, 2023