England cricket legend Graham Thorpe took his own life after struggling with depression and anxiety, his wife has revealed.
The England and Wales Cricket board announced on August 5 that Thorpe had passed away, aged 55.
His wife Amanda Thorpe has now spoken out about the passing of her husband in a heartbreaking interview, revealing that he had taken his own life after a long-standing battle with his mental health.
Mrs Thorpe told The Times: “Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.”
Thorpe left his wife and their two daughters Kitty, 22, and Emma, 19. Tributes have poured in for the batting coach since his passing, with a ceremony being held in Farnham over the weekend to remember Thorpe.
A minute’s silence was held before Farnham Cricket Club’s match against Chipstead Cricket Club over the weekend, as well as at the Oval, Lord’s and in Cardiff.
Amanda opened up further on the struggles that Thorpe was enduring whilst putting on a brave face when working with England’s cricket team. She explained: “For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety. This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit.
“Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work.
“Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health. But mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone. Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better.
“He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.” The family are now considering starting a foundation in the name of Graham Thorpe.
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