New Delhi, India

Former England captain Graham Thorpe passed away last week. The 55-year-old played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs, scoring 6744 and 2380 runs, respectively. The England and Wales Cricket Board said on X, "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away. There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death. More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world." However, his family has revealed that Thorpe committed suicide, succumbing to his battle against depression.

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'He really did believe that we would be better off without him'

Thorpe left behind his wife Amanda and their two daughters Kitty, 22, and Emma, 19, as well as his first wife Nicky and their two children, Henry and Amelia. Amanda told The Times, "Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life."

Amanda further opined, "For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety. This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit."

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"Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work," she added.

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Thorpe's daughter Kitty stated, "We are not ashamed of talking about it. There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma. We were trying to help him get better before and trying to protect him, which is why we said nothing. This is the time now to share the news, however, horrible it is. We’ve wanted to be able to talk and share and we’d now like to raise awareness, too."

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Thorpe, the left-handed batter, was regarded as one of the finest batsmen of the gentlemen's game. Debuting at the highest level in 1993, he retired from the game in 2005. He continued to serve English cricket post retirement. Thorpe was part of England's backroom team that oversaw Eoin Morgan & Co's 2019 ODI World Cup success. Post this, he served as England's assistant coach before being removed post Ashes 2021-22 debacle. Later in the same year, he was also named as Afghanistan's head coach but couldn't take over after an attempt on his life.