Revered Former England Batter Graham Thorpe Dies at 55

Former England batsman and coach Graham Thorpe has passed away at the age of 55, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday.

Thorpe, who played 100 Test matches between 1993 and 2005, scored 16 centuries during his illustrious England career and was regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation. He amassed 6,744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 and also participated in 82 one-day internationals.

In addition to his international career, Thorpe enjoyed 17 years with his county side Surrey. After retiring in 2005, he transitioned into coaching, serving in various roles with the England teams from 2010 to 2022.

The ECB expressed their deep sorrow 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.”

After leaving his role with England following the 2021-2022 Ashes series defeat to Australia, Thorpe was appointed head coach of Afghanistan. However, he did not take up the role after the Professional Cricketers’ Association revealed in May 2022 that Thorpe had fallen seriously ill with an unclear diagnosis.

Tributes from past and present stars have poured in for a player who often shone during a challenging period for the England Test side in the 1990s. Thorpe scored 114 on his debut against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993 and became a mainstay of the middle order, achieving his highest Test score of 200 not out against New Zealand in 2002.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan posted on X: “RIP Thorpey. Thanks for all the advice throughout my career, you were a great player and a brilliant team-mate. You have gone far too young but you leave as an England cricket legend.”

Current England skipper Ben Stokes posted a photo of himself wearing a jersey with “Thorpe 564,” Thorpe’s Test cap number, accompanied by a series of heart emojis.

Thorpe spent his entire playing career at Surrey. Chair Oli Slipper expressed the club’s sorrow: “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. 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 sorely missed.”