Photo Credit: ECB
England cricket legend Graham Thorpe has passed away.
It is with great sadness that the ECB shares 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. His skill was unquestioned, and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his teammates 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.
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.
“He brought much joy to fans of English cricket, and that will live with them forever as they remember a man who gave so much to the game.”
Assured and classy, Thorpe made 100 Test appearances, scoring 6,744 runs at an average of 44.66. He looked at home on the international scene from the very beginning, marking his first appearance in 1993 against Australia and becoming just the 14th Englishman to score a century on Test debut.
By the time of his retirement in 2005, Thorpe was widely recognised as a one of his generation’s leading batters, capable of unpicking even the most daunting bowling attacks.
Proficient against both pace and spin, many fans will remember both his mastery of the turning ball in the sub-continent and his ability to flick the short ball off his hip with style and panache.
His 2003 fourth Test innings against South Africa was arguably his most memorable moment – though Christchurch, Colombo and Lahore all warrant a mention. The previous year, Thorpe had taken a break from international cricket. On his return, he was simply sublime – securing a century and a series draw on his home ground against all the odds.
During a 17-year career with Surrey, he achieved significant success and – when not with England – formed part of one of English cricket’s most formidable domestic sides. In white-ball cricket, he amassed 82 ODI appearances for England to stand alongside his century of Tests.
Thorpe was awarded an MBE in 2006 and post-playing turned his expert eye to coaching. A stint with New South Wales preceded a spell working with England’s next generation, the England Lions, before becoming the ECB’s batting coach and in turn Assistant Coach to the England Men’s team. He was part of the coaching staff who helped take England Men to World Cup success in 2019.
ECB Chair Richard Thompson said: “Having known Graham personally for his whole career it feels impossible to reflect upon everything he did for English cricket. Graham has been a totemic figure in our game – his achievements and his impact mark him out as one of our greatest-ever batters.
“Words alone will likely never do justice to his skill. Many fans will remember him standing out and fighting back in an era when England teams often came up against incredibly strong teams.
“I always thought it fitting that he would go on to be an England coach in an era of much more success, playing his part in guiding the next generation to Ashes and World Cup success.
“We will miss him, I will miss him, and cricket will miss him. He brought much joy to fans of English cricket, and that will live with them forever as they remember a man who gave so much to the game.
“My thoughts are with his wife Amanda, father Geoff, and his children who are now all coming to terms with such a devastating loss.’’
