Graham Thorpe, former England great, dies at 55, ECB confirms

Former England great and coach Graham Thrope passed away, aged 55, on Monday (Aug5), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed in an official statement. Dubbed as the most complete England batter since Graham Gooch, Thorpe played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs, scoring 6744 and 2380 runs, respectively. The ECB expressed 'deep shock' in the announcement.

ALSO READ:Injuries force England to drop Zak Crawley, include two youngsters for Sri Lanka Tests as squad announced

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said on X.“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.”

“His skill was unquestioned and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his team-mates and England and Surrey CCC supporters alike. Later, as a coach, he guided the best England Men’s talent to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.”

“The cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time. We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.”

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. pic.twitter.com/VMXqxVJJCh — England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) August 5, 2024

Thorpe was a fluent left-handed middle-order batter, having represented Surrey in 189 first-class matches, scoring 49 centuries and averaging 45.04. He announced his retirement in 2005.

Meanwhile, growing up, Thorpe was good enough in football to be selected for England Schoolboys and was to be offered a trial with Brentford; however, he decided against going ahead with that and instead joined Surrey, where he spent his professional career as a cricketer.

Break and return

Following a successful stint in England colours, Thorpe took an indefinite break from cricket in 2002 owing to issues in his private life. Following the drawn-out collapse of his first marriage and the public humiliation that came with it, Thorpe completely broke down.

He, however, returned after a 13-month gap during the home South Africa series in 2003, hitting a hundred at The Oval. In 2004, he performed his best, averaging 73.15 in 20 Tests, batting at number five.

A year later, in 2005, after being dropped for the first Ashes Test, Thorpe decided to call it quits.

(With inputs from agencies)