Nepal’s star spin bowler Sandeep Lamichhane, who is free on bail while facing rape charges, has been picked for an upcoming international series, local cricket chiefs announced. 

The selection sparked anger among women’s rights activists in the country, one of whom accused the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) of “normalising gender-based violence”. Lamichhane is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in a Kathmandu hotel room last August.