Former England Batter Graham Thorpe Passes Away at 55

Graham Thorpe, the former England batter and esteemed coach, has died at the age of 55.

Thorpe, who played 100 Test matches for England between 1993 and 2005, was also a respected coach with the national team for over a decade. The ECB expressed deep sorrow at his passing, stating: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away. 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. 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.”

Thorpe had recently taken up the role of head coach for Afghanistan in March 2022 after leaving the England setup post-Ashes but had to step down due to illness.

Thorpe's career spanned from 1988 to 2005 with Surrey, where he scored over 21,000 runs in First-Class cricket. Noted for his exceptional batting, he amassed 16 Test centuries, including a career-best 200 not out against New Zealand. He made a memorable debut against Australia in 1993 at Trent Bridge, becoming the first Englishman in 20 years to score a century on debut.

Post-retirement, Thorpe began coaching with New South Wales, working with players like Steve Smith and David Warner. He later returned to England, serving as a batting coach and then as an assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss.

“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,” Oli Slipper, Chair at Surrey said.