The cricketing world is in mourning following the announcement of the death of former England Test batter Graham Thorpe, who passed away on Monday at the age of 55.
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Thorpe, renowned for his stylish and fluid top-order batting, played 100 Test matches for England between 1993 and 2005. His career was highlighted by 16 centuries, including a memorable debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge.
Thorpe accumulated 6,744 runs at an impressive average of 44.66, a testament to his resilience and skill during a period when English cricket faced challenges. Additionally, he was capped 82 times in One-Day Internationals, amassing 2,380 runs.
Thorpe’s peak was notably during the winter of 2000-01, when he played pivotal roles on tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. His innings of 118 in Lahore and an unbeaten 64 in Karachi were instrumental in England’s historic Test series win against Pakistan in Pakistan—a feat not achieved since 1961. His performances during this period solidified his reputation as one of England’s finest batsmen.
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In the wake of Thorpe’s passing, tributes have poured in from across the cricketing community. Pakistan bowler Waqar Younis, who competed against Thorpe in that memorable Karachi Test, expressed his deep sorrow on X, saying, “I lost my younger brother and a best friend today, Graham Thorpe (Chorky). A very sad day of my life. We’ll miss you dearly, brother. Condolences to the family and friends.”
The ECB released a statement reflecting the profound sense of loss felt throughout the cricketing world. “There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death. 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 supporters alike.”
Following his playing career, Thorpe transitioned into coaching, starting in New South Wales, Australia. He later served as a batting coach and assistant coach for the England men’s team for a decade, guiding the best talent in English cricket to notable victories across all formats.
His coaching journey took an unexpected turn in 2022 when he fell seriously ill shortly after being appointed as the Afghanistan coach.
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