Cricket Failed Him”: Thorpe’s Widow Reveals 3 Unanswered Pleas for Help

The widow of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe says her husband would still be alive today if he had received better support from the sport after losing his job with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Thorpe died by suicide in August last year, only two and a half years after being dismissed as England assistant coach. Coroner Jonathan Stevens found that the termination of his contract had a devastating effect, leaving Thorpe feeling as if he had lost his cricket family.

Speaking to Talksport, his wife Amanda said she believed stronger backing from the cricket community during his transition out of the game could have saved him.

“It is really clear to me that he would still be alive. If he had just a bit more of a support framework to lean on during that transition, it would have made all the difference,” she said.

After Cricket Dismissal and declining health

Thorpe had been part of the ECB coaching set up since 2009. He was sacked as batting coach in 2022 following England’s heavy Ashes defeat in Australia.

During the tour he filmed himself joking with police officers who intervened to stop players and coaches socialising at a hotel in breach of Covid 19 restrictions. The footage was leaked online and prompted an investigation by the ECB.

After dismissing Thorpe, the governing body arranged ten online counselling sessions and extended his medical insurance for three months. It also funded a four week stay in a rehabilitation hospital after he survived a suicide attempt in May 2022. Later that year the ECB offered him a scouting role.

Amanda described the response as inadequate.

“We really did ask for help. I knew he needed more than that. And it was not forthcoming,” she said.

She added that the counselling showed he was deteriorating rather than improving.

“It was too late. After the crisis in May he was very ill. He nearly lost his life. He had a stroke. We do not know how that affected his brain.”

While she acknowledged the ECB may not have known the full extent of his illness, she said medical professionals did.

“There has to be some connection,” she said.

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ECB response

An ECB spokesperson said Thorpe was “a deeply admired and much loved person” and that his loss had been felt across cricket and beyond.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with Amanda, his children, and everyone who loved him,” the spokesperson said.

“Graham’s passing is a heartbreaking reminder of the mental health challenges many people face. His death was examined by a coroner with full support from the ECB. We have met with Amanda to discuss her concerns and remain in regular contact with her and the wider family.”