Thorpe's widow says 'he would still be alive' with better support

The widow of Graham Thorpe, the former England and Surrey batter who took his own life in 2024, believes that he would still be alive if he had received better support from the ECB after his dismissal as England batting coach.

Speaking to the talkSPORT podcast Head Before Wicket, Amanda Thorpe said that had Graham not been suddenly cut off from the game following the 2021-22 Ashes, "it is really clear [to me] that he would still be alive".

"If he'd had just a little bit of the support framework there to lean on a bit to just transition a bit more, it would have made all the difference," she said.

Thorpe died in August 2024 after being struck by a train, an inquest was told, with his family confirming that he took his own life following a battle with depression and anxiety.

Thorpe's removal as England batting coach came in the wake of a 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, on a tour severely affected by Covid restrictions. After the final Test in Hobart, police were called to the team hotel to investigate reports that Thorpe had lit a cigar indoors.

Amanda Thorpe said her husband "was really teetering on the edge on that tour" and he was "absolutely gutted" by the incident. "He went round on the flight back and apologised personally to every person on that tour," she said.

The coroner's report into Thorpe's death concluded that there were "shortcomings" in the healthcare provided, but did not criticise the ECB's decision to terminate his employment, noting it had "funded treatment, hospital stays and extended his health treatment insurance".

The ECB paid for ten online counselling sessions, but Amanda Thorpe described this as "woeful".

"As he went through these sessions, it was clear that he wasn't coping. He was getting worse. We really did ask for help. I knew he needed more help than that. And, it wasn't forthcoming."

An attempt by Thorpe to take his own life in 2022 was unsuccessful but left him severely unwell. "It was too late, basically, after the crisis [in 2022], he was very ill. He nearly lost his life. He had a stroke. We don't know how that affected his brain after that.

"The ECB might say, well, we didn't know how ill he was. Although the doctors he was under did know, but then they sort of said, oh, but there's confidentiality. There's got to be some connection [between the ECB and their doctors]."

Last summer, during the Oval Test between England and India, the second day of the match was dubbed a "Day for Thorpey" in order to celebrate his life, as well as raise funds and awareness for the mental health charity Mind.

An ECB spokesperson described Thorpe as "a deeply admired and much-loved person".

"His loss has been felt deeply across the cricketing community and far beyond, and our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with his wife Amanda, his children, and all those who loved him.

"Graham's passing is a heart-breaking reminder of the challenges many face with mental health. His death was examined by a coroner; the inquest was held earlier this year with full support from the ECB.

"We have met with Amanda to discuss her concerns and have been in regular contact with her and the wider family."