Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe has died aged 55. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the development terming as 'one of the finest-ever batters to play for England'. For the unversed, Graham Thorpe played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs for England in a career that spanned from 1993 to 2005.
He later also worked as the batting coach of the senior men's team. He was taken seriously ill in 2002, soon after being named Afghanistan's head coach. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away. There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham's death," ECB said in a statement.
Thorpe played for Surrey at the domestic level and featured in a staggering 341 first-class, 354 List A and 5 T20 matches in his career amassing more than 30000 runs and scoring 58 centuries. At the international level, Graham Thorpe scored 6744 runs in 100 Tests at an average of 44.66 with 16 centuries and 39 fifties to his name. As far as ODIs is concerned, the left-handed batter mustered 2380 runs at an average of 37.18 with 21 fifties to his credit.
"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 cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time. We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport," ECB's statement read further.
