Former England cricket captain Graham Thorpe, who died earlier this month, reportedly "was hit by a train," according to recent reports. Surrey County Cricket Club announced the 55-year-old's death on August 5. Today, his wife Amanda revealed that he took his own life after struggling with anxiety and depression for several years.
According to MailOnline, the former batsman and captain was hit by a train on the morning of Sunday, August 4, in east Surrey near his home. Although paramedics arrived at the scene, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Thorpe was one of the most attacking, stylish and glamorous batsmen to have play for England in the 1990s.
Death of a Batting Star
A spokesman for the Surrey Coroner's Office said: "We can confirm that the coroner has received a referral for a Mr Graham Thorpe from the British Transport Police. A post mortem examination has been undertaken and Mr Thorpe's body released to his family. An inquest will be opened on August 13."
This news coincides with Amanda, Graham Thorpe's wife, sharing more details about her late husband, what transpired on that day, and his previous struggles.
Speaking to The Times, Amanda 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.
"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."
Family Devastated but Proud
His struggle may inspire the creation of a foundation in his name. The eldest daughter from Thorpe's second marriage, Kitty, said: "We are not ashamed of talking about it. There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma. This is the time now to share the news, however horrible it is.
"He had loved life and he loved us but he just couldn't see a way out."
Surrey-born Graham Thorpe was a brilliant batsman and later a batting coach, earning instant admiration for his performances against Australia and other top teams in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Though this was a challenging period for English cricket that many fans would rather forget, Thorpe's bold and elegant innings inspired a generation to take up the sport. Countless young fans of that era begged their parents for yellow Kookaburra bats, hoping to capture a bit of his greatness.
However, in 2002—the same year he scored the third-fastest double century in Test history—Thorpe took a 12-month break from cricket. He left a tour of India amid personal turmoil caused by infidelity, which led to a bitter divorce and a struggle with suicidal depression and alcoholism.
