The late Graham Thorpe, a former England player and coach, was honored by cricketers from the past and present including Ben Stokes and 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,” wrote Vaughan, the former England captain on “X”.
Ben Stokes also posted a photo of himself wearing a shirt labelled “Thorpe 564” (the number written at the back of his Test cap) together with five heart-shaped red emojis.
Between 1993 and 2005 he played in one hundred test matches for England scoring six thousand seven hundred forty four runs at an average of forty four point six six (44.66), including sixteen centuries. In addition to playing eighty two ODIs for England between 1988 to 2005 representing Surrey domestically, he scored twenty one half centuries amongst his career run total against other teams ‘as revealed by IANS.’
“I can’t believe that Thorpey has died. He was one of my heroes growing up and I was lucky enough to work closely with him. My thoughts go out to everyone who loved him during this difficult time,” wrote Duckett on ‘X’.
Anil Kumble, former Indian leg-spinner described Graham thorpe`s death as “Sad.” The post read: “He had been tenacious batter plus always ready for contesting battles on ground. My deepest condolences towards his friends + family.” X
“Graham Thrope it’s tragic news played with and against little man since we were ten years old great player great bloke so young thoughts with his family & friends x” says Shaun Udal, ex-English spinner writing on X.
Having started off as batting mentor at New South Wales in Australia, for like two years, he returned to Surrey CC before the Ashes, where he worked with the likes of David Warner and Steve Smith.
After that, he went on to work for the ECB as the national lead batting coach for their younger development squads as well as England Lions. In 2013 Thorpe was announced as a senior England men’s white ball squad batting coach which triumphed at the ODI World Cup held on home soil in 2019.
In trying times of Covid-19 pandemic when Chris Silverwood needed assistance of his assistant coach Thorpe who even acted as an interim head coach during England’s T20I series against Pakistan. Thrope was relieved of his duties after England lost Ashes 0-4. In March 2022 he was appointed Afghanistan as new head-coach but a severe illness struck him down hence making it impossible for him to accept this position.
