Graham Thorpe, former England and Surrey batsman, dies aged 55

Graham Thorpe’s father said his family are “devastated” after the death of the great former England batsman aged 55.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Monday that Thorpe had died over the weekend.

Thorpe is survived by his father Geoffrey Thorpe, his second wife, Amanda, and four children, two of which are from his previous marriage.

“This is an extremely sad day for our family. We are all devastated,” Geoffrey told Mailonline, reportedly from Thorpe’s brother Alan’s home in Surrey.

Mailonline added that Geoffrey Thorpe declined to discuss the cause of his son’s death.

Thorpe had not been seen in public for more than two years. In May 2022, the Professional Cricketers Association issued a short statement announcing that he was “seriously ill” and was receiving treatment in hospital. The family requested privacy.

Thorpe was held dear by generations of England fans for his determined, skilful batting in the 1990s, a difficult period for the national team, and the early 2000s as performances improved under the captaincy of Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan.

He was later part of England’s coaching staff, first working with the development squad the Lions, and later with the national team, guiding the careers of the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes, who were among those to pay tribute on Monday.

After news of Thorpe’s illness emerged in 2022, Stokes wore a shirt emblazoned with Thorpe’s name and cap number for the toss in his first game as Test captain, against New Zealand at Lord’s.

An ECB statement announcing his death read: “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 team-mates 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.”

Thorpe played 100 Tests, averaging a tick under 45 as a gritty, stylish left-handed batsman, between 1993 and 2005. He will be remembered as one of the game’s toughest competitors who was at his best in England’s toughest moments. He also played 82 one-day internationals and was a stalwart for his home county Surrey in one of their great eras of County Championship success at the turn of the century.

Upon his first-class retirement in 2005, Thorpe moved into coaching, first in Australia with New South Wales, where he worked with a young Steve Smith and David Warner, then in the English system. He was a guiding influence on a generation of English batsmen, including Joe Root, who passed 12,000 Test runs in his most recent innings, at Edgbaston last month.

After working with England Lions, he became England batting coach, a role he held when the men’s national team won their first World Cup in 2019.

Surrey said in a club statement: “everyone associated with the club is devastated by the tragic news of Graham’s death”. Chairman Oli Slipper described Thorpe as “one of the great sons of Surrey”.

Thorpe took time out of his playing career to manage the fallout of his first marriage, to Nicola, following the emergence of an affair while on tour in New Zealand, but later found happiness in his relationship with Amanda.

‘He brought much joy to fans’

Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman who was previously chairman at Surrey, also paid tribute. “Having known Graham personally for his whole career it feels impossible to reflect upon everything he did for English cricket,” he said. “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.”

Current Test captain Ben Stokes also paid tribute, posting an image from 2022 of him wearing Thorpe’s name and number, which he wore in his honour ahead of a Test with New Zealand.

Thorpe lost his job with England after the 2021/22 Ashes series. On that tour, he had stood in as head coach when Chris Silverwood was laid low by Covid-19, and gave a glimpse of his laid-back coaching philosophy.

He “encouraged the players to go to the beach and have a swim” and described the nature of the training sessions under his lead, saying: “I’ve had to let them off a little bit. Enjoy what they’re doing. Have fun. Get that tension out of the body”.

The tour ended in difficult fashion for Thorpe, though, when footage was leaked of him filming police attending a rooftop bar in Hobart in the early hours of the morning after England’s fifth Test defeat. The police had been called because Thorpe had smoked a cigar inside.

After leaving the England set-up, Thorpe had agreed to take over as head coach of Afghanistan, but fell ill before he could fill the post.

Friends praise ‘wonderful’ player and colleague

Stuart Broad

“Genuinely gutted, Loved Thorpey. As a kid I would run in from the garden to watch him bat. The Kookaburra Bubble [bat] and that famous knee up pull shot. Got to know him through his coaching roles with England and he was a wonderful person with a beautiful family. Thinking of everyone who knew him today and everyone who was inspired by him.”

Michael Vaughan

“RIP Thorpey. Thanks for all the advice throughout my career, you were a great player and a brilliant team-mate. You have gone far too young but you leave as an England cricket legend … Thoughts with all who knew Thorpey and to all the family. xxx”

Dean Headley

“Sadness is all I have on hearing the passing of Graham Thorpe. A warrior in our batting line up and a player not talked about enough for his elegance and style of play. My thoughts are with his family and all at @surreycricket. RIP little genius.”

‌Derek Pringle

“Graham Thorpe had his demons but this is just such a sad day… RIP Thorpey, a fabulous cricketer and team-mate.”

Joe Root

“Hero, mentor and so much more. Rest in peace and thanks for everything!”

Kevin Pietersen

“Shocked and saddened by this! RIP Thorpey you legend!”

Ben Duckett

“Heartbreaking to see Thorpey has passed away. He was one of my heroes growing up and I was fortunate to work with him. My thoughts go out to all of his friends and family during this tough time.‌“

Shaun Udal

“Such tragic news about Graham Thorpe, played with and against the little legend since the age of 10, great player and human being, so young, thoughts with his family and friends. x‌“

Sam Billings

“So much to thank this man for: the help, the guidance, the laughs. You’ll be sorely missed Thorpey.”

‌Greg James

“This is unbearably sad. If you grew up and fell in love with cricket in the 90s, You’ll know how much of a legend this man is. An amazingly brave batter, stylish, understated and just f—— cool.”

Darren Gough

“Such heartbreaking news to wake up to this morning. A great player who I was lucky enough to have as a team-mate so many times. I’ll miss you Thorpey. Thoughts with his family and everyone at Surrey CCC RIP.”

Dominic Cork

“Just devastated. Thorpey we will all miss you. One of best to wear the England and Surrey shirts. You’ve left us far too soon but the memories you leave with last a lifetime. RIP Chalky.”

Kumar Sangakkara

“Rest in Peace Thorpey. Great man and legend. Thoughts with his family, loved ones and friends. Gone far too early.”

David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd

“So very sad to hear that Graham Thorpe has passed away. Many colleagues and opponents will shed a tear. One of Surrey and England’s finest. R.I.P Graham.”

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