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Former England cricketer, Graham Thorpe breathed his last on August 04, 2024. One of England's finest batters, Thorpe was also a part of the England coaching staff and contributed to the game for as long as he could. As a part of his last job, Thorpe was England's assistant coach of England in the 2021-22 season. 

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The 55-year-old Englishman passed away just three days after his birthday, leading to a bitter-sweet end to his journey of life. The fag end of his life was quite unfathomable. Thorpe was a prey of anxiety and depression, which even led to him not taking up the job of Afghanistan head coach. 

As the world of cricket mourns the death of a true England great, the cause of his passing away has finally come to light. Thorpe's wife and daughters spoke to the media house "Times" to ascertain the reason for his passing. 

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How did former England cricketer Graham Thorpe pass away? 

Two of Thorpe's family members - wife Amanda, and his elder daughter, Kitty - spoke to The Times regarding the death of the former England batter. The family revealed that Thorpe took his own life, and committed suicide. 

The 55-year-old suffered from anxiety and depression for quite some time and had also attempted to commit suicide two years ago. The failed attempt took an even bigger toll on his mental health, which led Thorpe to believe that his family would be better off without him. 

Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health. But mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone. Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better, said Amanda.

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.

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, his wife added.

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What is Graham Thorpe's record for England?

FormatMatchesRunsAverageStrike Rate50s/100sHigh Score
Tests100674444.6645.8939/16200*
ODIs82238037.1871.1721/-89

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Mohit Khakhar Photo

Mohit Khakhar is a content producer for The Sporting News India.