Cricketer Graham Thorpe's Obituary: Achieved Runs in Every Scenario, Against Every Bowler, Both Home and Abroad
Graham Thorpe: England's Resilient Batsman Struggles and Suicide
Graham Thorpe, a former England cricketer, took his life on August 4, 2024, at the age of 55. His death was a result of personal struggles with anxiety and depression, compounded by public incidents, job loss, and inadequate care, according to an inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court.
Thorpe, England's most accomplished all-round batsman in an era of mixed fortunes for the Test team, began his career with a century on debut against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993. Over the years, he played 100 Test matches, scoring 6,744 runs with 16 centuries.
One of Thorpe's most memorable moments came in Karachi, where he marshalled the chase that secured England's first series win in Pakistan for 39 years. In the Caribbean in 2004, Thorpe played one of his best innings, an unbeaten 119 at Bridgetown against West Indies, ensuring England's first series win in the West Indies since 1967/68.
Thorpe's friend and former captain Nasser Hussain called him "the little genius." In Sri Lanka in 2000, Thorpe's swift 46 broke the back of a tricky chase at Kandy, before a superb double of 113 and 32, both unbeaten, secured a 2-1 victory in Colombo.
However, off the field, Thorpe struggled with a troubled private life. His first marriage broke down in 2001, and he fought depression and anxiety diagnosed in 2018. The COVID-19 lockdown period increased his stress and difficulties, compounding his mental health challenges.
Thorpe had a brief episode of depression in 2018, but it did not affect his professional work. However, the situation worsened after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022, which led him to "spiral into depression," according to an inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court. An incident involving a leaked private video while on tour in Australia in 2022 caused him significant distress and public scrutiny, exacerbating his psychological difficulties.
The inquest also revealed "failings" in the care Thorpe received from health professionals in the months before his death, which the coroner acknowledged when recording a conclusion of suicide. This suggests systemic shortcomings in addressing his mental health needs during this critical period.
After retirement, Thorpe took up a role as player-coach at New South Wales and later joined the England set-up as an assistant coach. Joe Root and Ben Stokes, two of Thorpe's proteges, were pallbearers at his funeral in Southwark. Thorpe was remembered in the 2025 edition of the Almanack.
[1] BBC News, "Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe dies aged 55," August 5, 2024. [2] The Guardian, "Graham Thorpe: England batsman dies aged 55," August 5, 2024. [3] Sky Sports, "Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe dies aged 55," August 5, 2024. [4] The Telegraph, "Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe died by suicide, inquest hears," August 6, 2024.
Cricket news headlines reported the passing of Graham Thorpe, the resilient English batsman, at the age of 55 in 2024. Amidst reports of his death, sports pundits and fellow cricketers reflected on Thorpe's career and the challenges he faced off the field, as his personal struggles and mental health challenges were revealed.
