Amanda Thorpe, the wife of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe, has disclosed that he took his own life after enduring depression and anxiety for several years. Thorpe, who passed away at the age of 55 in August, was deeply mourned by the cricket community. He had a distinguished England career as a stylish batsman from 1993 to 2005 and later served as a coach for 12 years. However, Thorpe was hospitalized in May 2022 and was deemed 'seriously ill.'
In an interview with The Times, Amanda Thorpe revealed that her husband, a former Surrey player, had previously attempted suicide two years ago before ending his life this month. 'Despite being surrounded by a loving wife and two daughters, he did not improve. He was extremely unwell recently and truly believed that we would be better off without him. We are heartbroken that he acted on that belief and took his own life,' Amanda Thorpe told The Times.
'For the past couple of years, Graham had been grappling with major depression and anxiety. This culminated in a serious suicide attempt in May 2022, which led to a lengthy stay in an intensive care unit.' Thorpe, a left-handed batsman, played in 100 Test matches and 82 one-day internationals for England, amassing over 9,000 runs, including 16 Test centuries. Despite the support from his family and doctors, he could not conquer his mental health struggles.
'Despite occasional signs of improvement and glimpses of the old Graham, he continued to battle depression and anxiety, which sometimes became very severe. We supported him as a family, and he tried numerous treatments, but unfortunately, none seemed to work,' Amanda Thorpe explained.
'Graham was known for his mental fortitude on the field and his good physical health. However, mental illness is a genuine disease that can impact anyone.'
