Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe passed away at the age of 55 after fighting an illness for almost two years, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Monday.
Thorpe, 55, represented England in 182 international matches including 100 Tests and 82 ODIs and worked with the team as their batting coach. He was named Afghanistan’s head coach in 2022 but couldn’t continue as he was taken to the hospital due to a “serious illness”.
''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.''
Thorpe scored a hundred on his debut against Australia in 1993 and went on to become one of England’s most important batters in red-ball cricket during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Thorpe joined the ECB in 2010 as their batting coach and worked as assistant coach to Chris Silverwood. He was to become Afghanistan’s head coach in 2022 but was hospitalised due to an illness.
After he was admitted to the hospital, England’s Test captain Ben Stokes wore a shirt with Thorpe’s name during the toss at his first match as skipper against New Zealand in Lord’s.
