[Cricket] Graham Thorpe RIP

[Nobby]

Loved watching him bat.
Such sad news.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Very sad.

Quality batsman.

 

[MJsGhost]

And I tell you what, when the Aussies had us 40 for 3, there was absolutely no more reassuring sight in cricket than Thorpey walking down the steps.

Wonderful player and a terrible loss to cricket

Edgbaston '97.

50-3 becomes 338-4!

Hussain's 200-odd would not have been possible without Thorpe's ton.
I remember being very close to switching off and doing something else when those two started to build... I watched pretty much every ball in the end.
A hugely talented player. RIP.

 

[Chicken Run]

Sad news, aged just 55.

Thorpe played 100 Tests for England between 1993 and 2005, as well as 82 one-day internationals.

A stylish left-handed batter, he scored 6,744 Test runs for England, including 16 centuries, at an average of 44.66.

‘’There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham's death," said an ECB statement.

‘’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.

Shocking news, same age as me, being a left handed batter like me i loved that guy, was fortunate to see him play live in the West Indies in 2004

 

[doogie004]

RIP and thank you

 

[Durlston]

Also remember that he played in an era of genuine world class bowlers. McGrath, Murali, Warne, Donald, Walsh. Anything well in the 40's was some average in those days

Wasim Akram for Pakistan and Daniel Vettori for New Zealand another couple.

 

[DJ NOBO]

I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was between him and Pietersen, who had only just made his test debut that previous winter- don't remember Thorpe playing much after that, if at all

I always thought that he was a really classy batsman

Pietersen fair enough, but Thorpe was also overlooked in favour of Bell, who wasn’t a heavy scorer at the time. It worked out fine of course, and it set Bell up for his own stellar career even if he had a modest series.
It was super hard lines on Thorpe though who dragged England through when we were crap, and was still scoring well. He was jettisoned just as it all came together. That’s sport, and having read his book, I think he reluctantly accepted that. No room for sentiment, and all that. He was also of the generation that narrowly missed out on the riches of T20 franchises.
Quality player who exited test match cricket, with a bit left in the tank imo.

 

[Surrey Phil]

Dreadful news - RIP Graham! I’m 55 and it’s actually hit me quite hard!

 

[Sussexscots]

Dreadful news. Thorpe was the reassuring presence in England's Middle order throughout the 90's and into the 00's. Tough, uncompromising. Played spin and pace as well as anyone.

Like losing Shane Warne, this one hurts. You don't expect top sportsmen younger than you to pass before you.

RiP Thorpey

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Pietersen fair enough, but Thorpe was also overlooked in favour of Bell, who wasn’t a heavy scorer at the time. It worked out fine of course, and it set Bell up for his own stellar career even if he had a modest series.
It was super hard lines on Thorpe though who dragged England through when we were crap, and was still scoring well. He was jettisoned just as it all came together. That’s sport, and having read his book, I think he reluctantly accepted that. No room for sentiment, and all that. He was also of the generation that narrowly missed out on the riches of T20 franchises.
Quality player who exited test match cricket, with a bit left in the tank imo.

Thorpe's back was knackered by then so he was already playing on borrowed time.

Although Pietersen was regarded as a major untried risk when he was first selected, so it wasn't an inevitable career ending decision immediately.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Pietersen fair enough, but Thorpe was also overlooked in favour of Bell, who wasn’t a heavy scorer at the time. It worked out fine of course, and it set Bell up for his own stellar career even if he had a modest series.
It was super hard lines on Thorpe though who dragged England through when we were crap, and was still scoring well. He was jettisoned just as it all came together. That’s sport, and having read his book, I think he reluctantly accepted that. No room for sentiment, and all that. He was also of the generation that narrowly missed out on the riches of T20 franchises.
Quality player who exited test match cricket, with a bit left in the tank imo.

To be fair to Bell, he went into that series on the back of a big unbeaten hundred in his last innings and with a test average of about 290, so it would have been a bit harsh to drop him.

Anyway, the first test series I watched was the 2001 Ashes (followed by a big gap until 2005 for no apparent reason), and it says something about how unreliable childhood memories are and also Thorpe's reputation that I remember him as being England's best player at the time despite him only playing a single match that series and scoring about 20runs in it. I suspect I spent the whole summer listening to people say that whoever was playing instead was nowhere near as good as him.

RIP

 

[Bold Seagull]

One of the most stylish batsman I have ever seen, RIP

Had the good fortune to see his elegant stroke play a few times. Vaughan was a close right handed equivalent in just looking poetic when batting.

Very sad news.

 

[DJ NOBO]

To be fair to Bell, he went into that series on the back of a big unbeaten hundred in his last innings and with a test average of about 290, so it would have been a bit harsh to drop him.

Anyway, the first test series I watched was the 2001 Ashes (followed by a big gap until 2005 for no apparent reason), and it says something about how unreliable childhood memories are and also Thorpe's reputation that I remember him as being England's best player at the time despite him only playing a single match that series and scoring about 20runs in it. I suspect I spent the whole summer listening to people say that whoever was playing instead was nowhere near as good as him.

RIP

I had you down as older then that !

 

[Invicta]

Very sad, such a great player. No age at all.

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

RIP Graham, thoughts with his family, the greatest England batsman of his generation.

 

[El Presidente]

Moving article in The Times today from Athers.

Graham Thorpe killed himself after two years of depression. Cricket has a problem with mental health. David Bairstow, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Ramprakash etc and now this.

Times (Paywall)

 

[Questions]

Moving article in The Times today from Athers.

Graham Thorpe killed himself after two years of depression. Cricket has a problem with mental health. David Bairstow, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Ramprakash etc and now this.

Times (Paywall)

It’s not just cricket with this problem. I do hope that he had people who tried - at least - to help him.

 

[Gwylan]

Moving article in The Times today from Athers.

Graham Thorpe killed himself after two years of depression. Cricket has a problem with mental health. David Bairstow, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Ramprakash etc and now this.

Times (Paywall)

There's actually a book about cricket and suicides - By his Own Hand by David Frith. it's a long-standing issue in the game. Rather poignantly, the book's foreword is written by Peter Roebuck (who also took his own life)

It's terribly sad to think about Thorpe in such a state and not able to find help but it's a story that's been told so many times

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I don't have the words to describe how horrible that is.

When I saw this thread had popped back up, and before opening it, it reminded me that last week Cricket Australia put up the highlights of his hundred at the WACA in 1995. It's well worth a watch.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Moving article in The Times today from Athers.

Graham Thorpe killed himself after two years of depression. Cricket has a problem with mental health. David Bairstow, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Ramprakash etc and now this.

Times (Paywall)

Its not just cricket the UK has a problem with both mental health and a suicide epidemic, and until the authorities publicly acknowledge this, and start doing something positive, sadly Graham Thorpe will just be another statistic.