On Monday, August 5, Graham Thorpe, a former England batter who played in 100 Tests and 82 ODIs for the Three Lions over the course of his 12-year international career, passed away at the age of 55.
The news of the passing of the former middle-order left-hand batter was confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board on X, formerly Twitter.
We share the news of Graham Thorpe’s passing, MBE, with profound sadness. The ECB stated in a statement, “There don’t seem to be enough words to express the profound shock we feel at Graham’s passing.
More than just one of the best batsmen to have ever played for England, he was adored by cricket enthusiasts worldwide and regarded as a beloved member of the game. There was no denying his skill, and throughout his 13-year international career, his accomplishments and talents delighted teammates as well as fans of Surrey CCC and England. Later, in his role as coach, he led the finest England Men’s talent to some amazing triumphs in every format of the game.
“Today, the cricket community is grieving. During this unbearably trying time, our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Amanda, his kids, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends. Graham’s outstanding contributions to the sport will live on in our memories forever.
On May 19, 1993, Thorpe made his debut for England in a match against Australia in Manchester. Against Australia on July 1, 1993, in Nottingham, he played his first red-ball match for the Poms. It was part of the Ashes series. In the second innings of his first game as a No. 7 batter, he struck a century (114*).
Thorpe played 12 years in the Test match and scored 6744 runs for the English team. In a Test match against New Zealand that was played in Christchurch from March 14–18, 2002, he scored his highest career total of 200 runs.
Thorpe amassed 2380 runs in 82 matches (77 innings) during the ODI series. In the game’s 50-over format, he finished his career with 21 half-centuries for England in addition to two wickets. In the ODI World Cups in 1996 and 1999, he played for England.
Thorpe coached England’s senior men’s team as their batting coach after he retired.
