Graham Thorpe passed away on August 5 at the age of 55.
Former England batter Graham Thorpe took his own life as he was struggling with depression and anxiety, his wife has revealed. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on August 5 that Thorpe had passed away, aged 55.
His widow, Amanda Thorpe, has finally spoken out about her husband's death, admitting that he committed suicide after a long battle with mental illness.
“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,” Thorpe’s wife Amanda told The Times.
Thorpe left his wife and their two kids, Kitty, 22, and Emma, 19. Tributes have flooded in for the batting coach since his death, with a ceremony staged in Farnham over the weekend to honor Thorpe.
Amanda went into greater detail about Thorpe's troubles while working with the England cricket squad.
“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,” she said.
“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. 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,” Thorpe’s wife added.
The family is now considering starting a foundation in the name of Graham Thorpe.
(The Times inputs)