Remembering English legend Graham Thorpe: When he hailed Virat Kohli as a 'fantastic player'
Before his passing, Thorpe had commended Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, calling him "one of the best."
Today, the cricket world mourns the loss of former England cricketer and coach Graham Thorpe, who has died at the age of 55. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed their profound sorrow over his unexpected passing.
Reuters
"There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham¡¯s death," the ECB remarked, honoring his legacy both as a player and a coach.
For those too young to remember Graham Thorpe the player, watch this hundred from Perth in 1995.
¡ª Henry Moeran (@henrymoeranBBC) August 5, 2024
As good as it gets in the toughest arena.
? @robelinda2
pic.twitter.com/8A1I7lWgr6
Thorpe, renowned for his skillful batting, played 100 Test matches for England between 1993 and 2005, amassing 6,744 runs with an average of 44.66, and notching up 16 centuries. His prowess extended to 82 one-day internationals.
Post-retirement in 2005, Thorpe had an influential stint in coaching, contributing significantly to England's cricket until 2022. His eventual plans to coach the Afghanistan national team were curtailed owing to undisclosed illness.
When Thorpe was all praise for Virat Kohli
Before his passing, Thorpe had commended Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, calling him "one of the best." His praise came in the lead-up to the 2021 England tour of India, a critical series for both teams with implications for the World Test Championship final.
"We know that he is a fantastic player and he has shown that for many years now. Virat is in one of that batting orders which understands home conditions very well," Thorpe had stated.
TIL
The series began with England clinching the opening match in Chennai, but India quickly turned the tables to win the subsequent three games, thus securing a spot in the WTC finals. Despite Kohli's total of 172 runs across the series and an average of 28.67, the spotlight also fell on the controversial pitch conditions, sparking widespread debates.
Tributes pour in for Graham Thorpe
News of Thorpe¡¯s demise prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the cricket community, including a heartfelt post by England¡¯s Test captain Ben Stokes.
?????????? pic.twitter.com/NeaX5dDwzg
¡ª Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) August 5, 2024
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Surrey and England legend Graham Thorpe, MBE.
¡ª Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) August 5, 2024
Everyone associated with the Club is devastated by the tragic news of Graham¡¯s death. pic.twitter.com/gxHcbLK953
Former England batter Graham Thorpe has died, aged 55.
¡ª England's Barmy Army ???????? (@TheBarmyArmy) August 5, 2024
Tragic news. Rest in peace ? pic.twitter.com/3IKkKD0EMB
Waking up to the truly dreadful news of the death of Graham Thorpe, at the age of 55. A brilliant batsman who dug us out of many a hole, but more importantly a person who always embraced the fun after a tough day on the field of play.
¡ª Adam C (@Streaky94) August 5, 2024
These are my pics of him from the 94/95 tour pic.twitter.com/DOBpSPKyBP
The sentiment of loss was also strongly felt on Reddit, particularly in the r/Cricket subreddit, where fans expressed their shock and sadness.
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One user reminisced, "My favourite player growing up in the 90s/00s. He was easily England's most talented and composed batsman for a long time and the only one from his era that could easily have slotted into lots of our more successful lineups since. RIP."
[ECB] It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away. There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham's death.
byu/Idontlikethisstuff inCricket
Another stated, "This is really sad. He was one of those few English batters of the 90s that Australian cricket fans really respected. A top bloke by all accounts."
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A third reflected on Thorpe's resilience, saying, "He had an obdurate stickability to his batting from my memory. He was one of those who would be standing tall amidst another England collapse."
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Kumar Debvrat is a copyeditor at Indiatimes, combining trending topics in India with unique human-interest stories. He has a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, enjoying both cricket and comic book movies.
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