Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe Passes Away at 55

The cricketing world mourns the loss of Graham Thorpe, a former England cricketer and coach, who passed away on Monday at the age of 55. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced his death, marking the end of an era for English cricket. Thorpe’s contributions to the sport, both as a player and coach, left an indelible mark on cricket history.

Thorpe’s Playing Career

International Cricket

Graham Thorpe’s international career spanned over a decade, from 1993 to 2005. During this time, he established himself as one of England’s most reliable batsmen.

Test Cricket

• Played 100 Test matches for England
• Scored 6,744 runs in Test cricket
• Averaged an impressive 44.66
• Notched up 16 centuries

One Day Internationals (ODIs)

• Represented England in 82 ODIs
• Amassed 2,380 runs in the format
• Maintained an average of 37.18
• Scored 21 half-centuries

County Cricket

Thorpe’s domestic career was primarily associated with Surrey, where he spent 17 years.

• Made 241 appearances in first-class cricket for Surrey
• Played 271 List A games for the county
• Scored over 20,000 runs across formats for Surrey

Coaching Career

England Cricket Team

After retiring as a player, Thorpe transitioned into coaching roles with the England national team:

• Served as England’s batting coach
• Later promoted to assistant coach
• Stepped down from his role in February 2022 following England’s 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia

Afghanistan Cricket Team

• Appointed as Afghanistan’s head coach in March 2022
• Unfortunately, he was hospitalized with a serious illness before he could join the team