Leading figures from English cricket have paid tribute to Graham Thorpe, one of the finest batters of his generation, after he died at the age of 55. Alec Stewart, who played with Thorpe at Surrey and with England, hailed him as a “legend”, while one of Stewart’s successors as Test captain, Joe Root, described Thorpe as a “hero”.
Thorpe’s death was announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Monday morning, after he was first revealed to be seriously ill in 2022. “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away,” read an ECB statement. “There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death. More than one of England’s finest ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world.
