“He would still be alive”- Graham Thorpe’s wife slams ECB for lack of support framework after sacking him as England assistant coach

Graham Thorpe played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs for England from 1993 to 2005.

Former England middle-order hitter Graham Thorpe's wife has made a disturbing claim, claiming that her husband would still be alive if the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had done more after firing him as England's assistant coach.  

Thorpe, who played 100 Tests and 82 One-Day Internationals for England from 1993 to 2005 and scored over 9,000 runs in international cricket, committed suicide in August 2024, more than two years after losing his job as England's associate coach.

Thorpe's wife, Amanda, stated that if Graham had been offered methods to stay more linked to England Cricket in the critical months following his dismissal, 'it is really evident (to her) that he would still be alive.'

“If he'd had just a little bit of the support framework there to lean on a bit to just transition a bit more, it would have made all the difference," she claimed in an interview with talkSPORT.

According to Amanda, Thrope’s sacking was like "the end of a long army career, not just leaving a normal job; the similarities are there—endless travelling, everything being done for you, and the expectations of a nation on your shoulders."

Amanda added, “We really did ask for help. I knew he needed more than that. And it wasn't forthcoming. As he went through these sessions, it was clear that he wasn't coping. He was getting worse,”

It was too late. After the crisis in May he was very ill. He nearly lost his life. He'd had a stroke. We don't know how that affected his brain. The ECB might say they didn't know how ill he was, but the doctors did know. There has to be some connection.” she said.

Thorpe, a left-handed batter, made his England debut in 1993 in an ODI against Australia in Manchester, and his Test debut came in 1993 as well, in The Ashes that year in Nottingham. He scored a century (114*) in the second innings of his debut match as a No. 7 batter.

During his 12-year Test career, Thorpe scored 6744 runs for the English squad. His career high score was 200 runs against New Zealand in the 2002 Christchurch Test.  

Thorpe scored 2380 runs in 82 One-Day Internationals, including 77 innings. He concluded his career with 21 half-centuries for England in the 50-over format, along with two wickets. He also represented England in the 1996 and 1999 One-Day International World Cups.