He was only 55
Cricket legend Graham Thorpe’s wife Amanda has revealed the former England international took his own life.
Thorpe passed away on August 5 aged 55 leaving behind his devastated wife and two daughters.
Speaking to The Times, Mrs Thorpe revealed that the cricketer had struggled with anxiety and depression for years.
She said: “Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.”
Thorpe, an all-rounder for Surrey, played over 100 test matches for England and 82 One Day Internationals during his career.
After retiring in 2005, Thorpe went into coaching and had spells coaching in Australia before becoming England’s batting coach, a position he held until 2022.
“For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety. This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit.
“Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work.”
His daughter Kitty, 22, added: “We are not ashamed of talking about it. There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma. We were trying to help him get better before and trying to protect him, which is why we said nothing.
“This is the time now to share the news, however horrible it is. We’ve wanted to be able to talk and share and we’d now like to raise awareness, too.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts you can get help and advice at the following places:
- Samaritans – 116 123
- Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – 0800 58 58 58, or use webchat
- Shout Crisis Text Line – Text “SHOUT” to 85258
- NHS – 111
