Former England batter Graham Thorpe passes away at 55: Details
In what comes as a disturbing piece of news, former England batter Graham Thorpe has passed away at 55. Thorpe was believed to be "seriously ill" in 2022, according to the Professional Cricketers' Association. He was admitted to hospital after being appointed Afghanistan cricket team's head coach. The veteran batter represented England in 100 Tests between 1993 and 2005.
A look at official ECB statement
"It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away," the ECB said in a statement. "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."
ECB's tribute to Thorpe
Over 6,000 runs in Test cricket
Thorpe's Test career was off to a flier as he slammed a century on his debut, during the 1993 Ashes. He became the first England player in two decades to record a ton on Test debut. Thorpe finished with 6,744 runs from 100 Tests at 44.66 (16 centuries and 39 half-centuries). He also featured in 82 ODIs, having scored 2,380 runs at 37.18.
First Englishman with this feat
As per ESPNcricinfo, Thorpe became the first Englishman to tour 10 consecutive winters. He retired from ODI cricket shortly after attaining this feat, in 2002. Thorpe's final Test appearance was in 2005, during the Bangladesh series at home.
Thorpe's coaching career
Thorpe ventured into coaching in 2010, when he joined the ECB as batting coach. He also served as England's assistant coach in the Chris Silverwood era. He was with the side during the 2021/22 Ashes. Thorpe was supposed to serve Afghanistan as head coach after being named in March 2022. However, his illness took over.
