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Legendary English cricketer Graham Thorpe died on Monday at the age of 55. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed his passing through an official statement, expressing deep sorrow and shock.
“There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death,” the ECB said in a statement.
“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 statement read further.
England’s Test captain Ben Stokes took to social media to express his condolences for Thorpe’s death. Stokes posted a photo of himself from the Lord’s Test against New Zealand in 2022, where he was seen walking into the long room wearing a shirt with ‘Thorpe 564’ on the back.
Thorpe earned 100 Test caps from 1993 to 2005 and scored 16 centuries during a distinguished career with England, being recognized as one of the top batters of his era. He amassed 6,744 runs in Test matches at an average of 44.66 and also played 82 One Day Internationals.
In addition to his international career, Thorpe had a successful 17-year tenure with his county side, Surrey. Following his retirement in 2005, he shifted to coaching, contributing to various roles with England’s international teams from 2010 to 2022.
