Former England captain Michael Vaughan and current Test captain Ben Stokes have led tributes to Graham Thorpe following his death at the age of 55.
News of the legendary cricketer’s passing on Monday morning was met with an outpouring of statements from his former colleagues, as well as his former county Surrey and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Vaughan, who captained Thorpe towards the end of his Test career, thanked the left-handed batsman for his advice during his career and said his thoughts were with Thorpe’s family.
“RIP Thorpey,” Vaughan wrote on X. “Thank you for all the advice you gave me throughout my career, you were a great player and a brilliant teammate. You left me too young but you leave as a legend of English cricket… My thoughts to everyone who knew Thorpey and to the entire family xxx.”
Test captain Stokes tweeted five heart emojis alongside a photo of Thorpe with 564 on his jersey, indicating his Test cap number.
Legendary former England and Surrey cricketer Graham Thorpe has passed away aged 55
His former county, Surrey, described Thorpe as one of its “great sons” following news of his tragic death.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan and Test captain Ben Stokes lead tributes to the icon
The former member for Thorpe County, Surrey, described him as one of his “great sons”.
Chairman Oli Slipper said: ‘He is a Surrey legend and brought great pride to the Club by wearing the Three Feathers and Three Lions.
“He made outstanding contributions to the Club as a cricketer and as a man and will be greatly missed.”
Surrey Chief Executive Steve Elworthy said: “Everyone associated with the club is devastated by the tragic news of Graham’s passing. He achieved remarkable feats for club and country and was a hero to many cricket fans.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with Graham’s family and friends, to whom we will offer all the support we can. We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy at this incredibly difficult time.”
Former England and Hampshire bowler Shaun Udal praised a “great player and human being” in a post following the tragic news.
“What tragic news about Graham Thorpe, played with and against the little legend since he was 10, great player and human being, so young, thoughts with his family and friends x,” he wrote.
Another of Thorpe’s former teammates, Derek Pringle, said the batsman was a “fabulous cricketer” despite his problems, writing: “Graham Thorpe had his demons but this is a very sad day… Rest in peace Thorpey, a fabulous cricketer and teammate.”
Thorpe played exactly 100 Tests and scored 16 centuries before retiring in 2005.
During his playing career, Thorpe averaged an impressive 44.7 runs in Test matches. His highest score was 200 not out and the talented middle-order batsman also played 77 one-day internationals.
One of his most memorable Test innings came in 2000 against Pakistan in Karachi. After a final-day implosion by the hosts, Thorpe hit an unbeaten 64 in near-total darkness towards the end of his innings to lead England to their first series win in Pakistan in 39 years – and Pakistan’s first defeat at the National Stadium in 35 years.
Thorpe amassed more than 2,000 runs in the shortest format of the game and his intelligence and leadership allowed him to make a smooth transition into coaching when he retired from the game in 2006.
He then began his coaching career in Australia, where he worked with the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner in New South Wales, before joining the England and Wales Cricket Board as batting coach.
He worked as a senior team assistant under Trevor Bayliss and Chris Silverwood, and took over leadership of the team in that winter’s Sydney Test against Australia due to Silverwood’s coronavirus diagnosis.
He left his post at the end of the series, before being appointed as Afghanistan’s head coach in March 2022. Unfortunately, he would never take up that role after falling seriously ill. Stokes wore Thorpe’s name and number before a match against New Zealand as a tribute following that diagnosis.
The Professional Cricket Association released a statement on Monday morning, saying they were devastated to learn of his passing.
“The PCA is devastated by the sad news of the passing of former Surrey and England legend Graham Thorpe,” the statement on X began. “Our sincere thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
Current England opener Ben Duckett wrote on the platform: “It’s heartbreaking to hear that Thorpey has passed away. He was one of my heroes as a child and I was lucky enough to work with him. My thoughts are with all his friends and family during this difficult time.”
An ECB statement said: “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Graham Thorpe, MBE. There seem to be no adequate words to describe the profound shock we feel at Graham’s passing.
‘More than just one of England’s greatest batsmen, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans around the world.
‘His ability was undisputed, and his capabilities and achievements over a 13-year international career brought much happiness to his team-mates and the supporters of England and Surrey CCC alike.
‘Later, as a coach, he guided top talents in the England men’s national team to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.
“The cricketing world is in mourning today. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Amanda, his children, his father Geoff and all his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.”
