Former England batter and coach Graham Thorpe has died at the age of 55, the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced.
Thorpe was regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation and played 100 Tests for England.
The counterattacking left-hander was an England Test regular, scoring 16 centuries and featuring 82 times for the ODI side, as well as enjoying a 17-year career with Surrey.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away,” the ECB said.
“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 team-mates 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.
Thorpe was renowned as one of the finest English players of his generation. Pic: PA
“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, who played for England between 1993 and 2005, scored a century on debut against Australia at Trent Bridge and quickly became a key player in England’s Test and limited overs teams in the mid-1990s and early 2000s.
His final Test was against Bangladesh in June 2005 and, after being left out of that summer’s victorious Ashes series, he called time on his international career.
‘Legend and hero’
Michael Vaughan, who captained Thorpe towards the end of his Test career, wrote on X he was “a great player and a brilliant team-mate” who had “gone far too young”.
Current England opener Ben Duckett also wrote on X, saying: “Heartbreaking to see Thorpey has passed away. He was one of my heroes growing up and I was fortunate to work with him.”
Former England spinner Shaun Udal, who played with Thorpe, described him on X as a “little legend”.
Surrey chief executive Steve Elworthy said on X: “Everyone associated with the club is devastated by the tragic news of Graham’s passing. He achieved remarkable feats for club and country and was a hero to so many cricket fans.”
Dean Headley, who played with Thorpe in the Ashes in 1997, called him on X “a warrior in our batting line-up and a player not talked about enough for his elegance and style of play.”
Thorpe stayed in the game after his retirement from playing, moving to New South Wales where he worked with a young Steve Smith and David Warner, Australian batting stars of the future.
He returned to work with England as a batting coach.
In 2022, he stepped up to guide the team to a nailbiting draw in the Sydney Test after head coach Chris Silverwood caught COVID-19 and quit his role following defeat in that Ashes series.
Thorpe was appointed as Afghanistan’s head coach that July but was taken “seriously ill”, shortly after.
