Former England batter Graham Thorpe passed away at the age of 55 after battling an illness for nearly two years on Monday. The left-handed batter represented England in 100 Test matches and 82 ODIs from 1993 to 2002.
During his 11-year-long career, he scored 6744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 with 16 centuries. Meanwhile, in ODI cricket, he scored 2380 runs at 37.18 with 21 half-centuries.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the passing of Thorpe through a press release.
”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.
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“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.”
After retiring from cricket, Thorpe took on the role of batting coach and assistant coach for the England men’s cricket team.
He had been lined up to become Afghanistan’s head coach in 2022, but unfortunately, he was unable to take on the new position as he was hospitalized due to an illness.