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Graham Thorpe, the former England cricketer who passed away at 55, tragically took his own life after a long struggle with anxiety and depression. Thorpe, who played 100 Test matches and 82 ODIs for England, died on August 5, leaving the cricketing world in shock.

In an interview with The Times, Thorpe’s wife disclosed that the cricketer had attempted suicide previously in May 2022.

“Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better,” Thorpe’s wife Amanda was quoted as saying.

“He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life. For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety.

“This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit,” she added.

Graham Thorpe made his international debut for England against Australia in Manchester on May 19, 1993. His first Test match for England was also against Australia, played in Nottingham on July 1 during the 1993 Ashes series. Thorpe made a notable entrance with a century (114*) in the second innings of his debut as a No. 7 batter.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Thorpe was a prominent middle-order batsman for England. He appeared in 100 Tests, amassing 6,744 runs, including 16 centuries. Additionally, he played 82 ODIs for England, where he scored 2,380 runs and notched up 51 half-centuries.

Thorpe was a prominent figure for Surrey, amassing over 20,000 runs during his career. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, including a stint with the Afghanistan Cricket Team in 2022. According to his wife, it was that same year he struggled with mental illness and attempted to take his own life.