After his death last Monday, the family of former England batter Graham Thorpe have opened up on his battle with anxiety and depression, revealing that he took his own life.
The cricketing world was shocked to hear of Thorpe's passing at the age of 55. A left-handed batter during his playing days, he represented England in nearly 200 international matches, scoring over 9,000 runs.
In March 2022, he was announced as Afghanistan's new head coach but before he could begin the role, the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) released a statement in May on his family's behalf, saying that he had fallen seriously ill with an "unclear prognosis". There had been no further update until the time of his death.
Amanda Thorpe: Mental illness is a real disease, and can affect anyone
Thorpe's family reached out to former England international Michael Atherton, now writing for the Times, to share more information after two years of silence.
As reported by Atherton, Thorpe's wife Amanda said, "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.
"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."
🗣️ "On the good days, of which there were many, there was nobody better who wore an England shirt in that era."@Phil_Wisden pays tribute to the late Graham Thorpe ❤️ pic.twitter.com/K5GZVas5pn
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 7, 2024
Read more: Remembering Graham Thorpe - Cricket's family grasps the barrier, steadies itself, reels again
Amanda Thorpe, along with daughters Kitty and Emma, said they were overwhelmed by the tributes that poured in from the cricketing community over the past week. In particular, they were glad that he had been remembered for his life prior to the illness, rather than being defined by it.
"He had loved life and he loved us but he just couldn’t see a way out," Kitty Thorpe said. "It was heartbreaking to see how withdrawn he had become. He was not the same person. It was strange to see this person trapped in the body of Dad.
"That’s why we’ve been so happy that the many reflections have been about his life before this illness took over. I’m glad that’s how everyone does remember him, rightly so, as the complete character he was."
The family are also keen to raise more awareness about Thorpe's illness, and there have been talks about starting a foundation in his name.
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