Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe sadly passed away last August after being hit by a train at Esher railway station. An inquest at Surrey coroner’s court revealed his death came after a long battle with mental health problems.
Struggling with Mental Health and Final Plea
His wife, Amanda Thorpe, shared that in the weeks before his death, Graham told her he didn’t want to be here anymore. He even asked her to help him end his life and said he wanted to go to Switzerland for assisted dying.
“The weeks leading up to his death, he told me he doesn’t want to be here any more,” she said.
“He asked me to help him end his life. He said he wants to go to Switzerland,” she added.
Career Setback and Decline in Mental Health
Graham’s mental health took a sharp downturn after losing his job as England’s batting coach in 2022. This happened after a video surfaced of him smoking a cigar indoors during the Ashes tour in Australia, breaking local rules.
Amanda said this was a turning point for him. “He came back from the tour of Australia in a terrible state,” she said.
“To be sacked after that — I think it was foreseeable that it would be really really hard on him. If he hadn’t been on that Tour, then he wouldn’t be dismissed and that was ultimately what he couldn’t deal with.”
Attempted Suicide and Struggle to Recover
Shortly after losing his coaching role, Graham attempted to take his own life in 2022 and was in a coma for three weeks. Even though he later signed a coaching contract with Afghanistan’s national team, his mental health stopped him from going through with it.
Amanda explained, “He tried to do it but he was spiralling down. He signed a contract and I had to tell them he was too unwell to do that job.”
Remembering a Respected Cricket Legend
Graham Thorpe was a respected cricketer who played 182 matches for England and scored 16 centuries in Test cricket. Known for his toughness and skill, he left a mark on English cricket.
A tribute will be held in his memory during the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval on August 1, which would have been his 56th birthday.
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