Former England cricketer and coach Graham Thorpe passed away on Monday, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced. He was 55. Thorpe played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs for England between 1993 and 2005, and scored 6,744 runs in the longer format, which included 16 centuries, at an average of 44.66. The stylish left-handed batter also smashed 2380 runs laced with 21 fifties at an average of 37.18.
“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,” a statement from the ECB read.
Thorpe also spent 17 years playing for Surrey, where he made 241 appearances in first-class cricket and 271 List A games, scoring over 20,000 runs for the county side. His former county also mourned his sad loss as chairman Oli Slipper hailed his legacy.
Slipper said: “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 so sorely missed.”
{{/usCountry}}Slipper said: “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 so sorely missed.”
{{/usCountry}}Steve Elworthy, Surrey's CEO, added: “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.
He also served as England's batting coach and assistant coach before stepping down in February 2022 after a 4-0 loss in the Ashes. He was appointed as Afghanistan's head coach in March 2022, but was hospitalised with a serious illness before he could join the team.