Former England cricket batsman and Surrey great Graham Thorpe has died at the age of 55. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the sad news.
The death of Thorpe is a great grief for the cricket world, who was in the hearts of many through his playing and coaching career.
Thorpe’s cricket journey has been filled with many important moments. He started his international cricket journey by scoring a century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, he played 100 Test matches for England between 1993 and 2005, in which he scored 6744 runs with the help of 16 centuries.
The ECB released a statement on Graham Thorpe’s death, saying,
“We are very sad to share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away. Words cannot describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death. He was one of the best batsmen England have ever produced and a much-loved member of the cricket family.”
Thorpe’s coaching role
Thorpe’s coaching journey was also remarkable. After joining the ECB as head batting coach in 2010, he played a key role with England’s Test and one-day squads.
Thorpe’s playing talent and his coaching abilities earned him an important place in the cricket world. Surrey chairman Ollie Slipper said,
“Graham is one of Surrey’s great sons and it is with great sadness that he will not walk through the gates of the Oval again. He brought great pride to the club wearing both the Three Feathers and the Three Lions.”
Surrey chief executive Steve Elworthy also offered his condolences, “Everyone at the club is devastated by the sad news of Graham’s passing. He achieved remarkable things for club and country and was a hero to many cricket fans.”
Thorpe had to retire from ODI cricket after personal challenges and a broken marriage in 2002. Despite this, he returned to Test cricket and played a key role in the team’s victory by scoring a century against South Africa at his home ground, The Oval.
With the passing of Graham Thorpe, the cricket world has lost a great player and coach. His memories and his devotion to cricket will live on forever in the hearts of fans and the cricket fraternity.
Our condolences are with his family and friends, and we ask that the family’s privacy be respected at this difficult time.
