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 was widely regarded as one of the best batters of his generation, earned 100 Test caps between 1993 and 2005, scoring 16 centuries during his illustrious career. He amassed a total of 6,744 Test runs for England at an average of 44.66 and also appeared in 82 one-day internationals. Additionally, he enjoyed a 17-year spell with his county side Surrey.
After retiring in 2005, Thorpe transitioned into coaching, working with England's international teams in various capacities from 2010 to 2022.
“There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death,” the ECB said in a statement. “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.”
Following his departure from the England team after the 2021-2022 Ashes series defeat to Australia, Thorpe became the head coach of Afghanistan. In May, the Professional Cricketers’ Association revealed that Thorpe had fallen seriously ill with an unclear diagnosis.
