Nepali leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane would have been preparing for his debut in the first-ever The Hundred has things gone well. But, Lamichhane is now on the plane back home instead of turning up for Oval Invincibles.
There used to be times when Sandeep would leave overseas league midway to attend National Team Matches. He’d be away from Nepal playing various tournaments around the globe. Come 2021, Sandeep has traveled to two countries but returned without playing a game. And with the International series on hold, Sandeep is eager to bowl.
Sandeep reached the United Kingdom on July 9 to be part of the Invincibles team playing in first-ever The Hundred. But on July 18th, he was asked to leave the country by ECB officials. With just two days remaining before his quarantine ended, Sandeep was told his visa was not valid to play The Hundred. Sandeep used the same Sponsorship letter to apply for Tier 5 visa that he got from Worchestershire in T20 Blast. He was unable to participate in the T20 blast as his VISA came late.
VISA Fiasco
Sandeep claimed that the ECB officials told him COS would be valid for The Hundred if he arrived before July 10. Later he was asked to leave without any clarification on previous claims. Sandeep vented his dissatisfaction via social media and asked ECB to not repeat this to other players in the future.
Sandeep is yet to play professional cricket in England, which he has been waiting for since long ago. VISA issues meant he missed out on T20 Blast and this time he had to leave the Hundred with just a day to go.
Sandeep expects to return to England to complete his globe-trotting journey having played in all other top T20 leagues. As skipper of Invincibles Sam Billings rates Sandeep as a special talent, just like the whole world does. England can expect Sandeep’s second coming.
