August 5, 2024

Former England Batter Graham Thorpe Dies at Aged 55

Graham Thorpe, the former England and Surrey cricketer, has passed away at the age of 55, according to the ECB. Thorpe, who earned 100 Test caps for England from 1993 to 2005 and later served as a batting coach for the senior men’s team, fell seriously ill in 2022 shortly after being appointed head coach of Afghanistan.

Throughout his career, Thorpe scored 6,744 runs in Test cricket, including 16 centuries, and also played 82 One-Day Internationals. He spent his entire county career with Surrey, amassing nearly 20,000 runs for the team.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away,” the ECB said in a statement. “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 teammates 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.”

Graham Thorpe joined the ECB as the lead batting coach in 2010 and played a key role in England’s 2019 Men’s World Cup victory. He later served as assistant coach to Chris Silverwood but left the coaching staff after the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Tributes and Legacy: Graham Thorpe’s Impact and Contributions

Thorpe was set to become Afghanistan’s head coach in March 2022 but couldn’t take up the position due to health issues. After being hospitalized in May 2022, England’s new Test captain, Ben Stokes, honored Thorpe by wearing a shirt with Thorpe’s name and England cap number during the toss of his first match against New Zealand at Lord’s.

“Graham is one of the great sons of Surrey and there is an overwhelming sadness that he will not walk through the gates of the Oval again,” Oli Slipper, Surrey’s chair, said. “He is a legend of Surrey and brought great pride to the club wearing both the Three Feathers and the Three Lions.

“He made outstanding contributions to the club as a cricketer, and as a man, and he will be so sorely missed.”

Steve Elworthy, Surrey chief executive, added: “Everyone associated with the club is devastated by the tragic news of Graham’s passing. He achieved remarkable feats for club and country and was a hero to so many cricket fans.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with Graham’s family and friends, to whom we will offer any support that we are able to. We ask that everyone respects the privacy of the family at this incredibly difficult time.”

Graham Thorpe was a tough, counterattacking batter who made an impressive debut with a century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993. He became one of England’s top Test batters in the 1990s and early 2000s and was also a consistent performer in one-day cricket, playing in the 1996 and 1999 World Cups.

His career peak came in the 2000-01 winter when he scored centuries in Lahore and Colombo, helping England win series in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The following year, he scored an unbeaten double-century in Christchurch to secure a victory for England.

After enduring ten consecutive winters of touring with England, Thorpe retired from One-Day Internationals and took a break from the game in 2002 due to personal issues. He returned to Test cricket after over a year, scoring a century against South Africa at The Oval. His final England appearance came during his 100th Test cap against Bangladesh, but he was dropped for the 2005 Ashes series due to the rise of Kevin Pietersen.

Thorpe retired from playing that summer and transitioned into coaching. He began with New South Wales in Australia, where he worked with young players like Steven Smith and David Warner, before returning to Surrey as a batting coach. He also coached the Lions and spent over a decade as part of the ECB’s England coaching setup.