A former England cricketer took his own life after losing his job as a batting coach, his widow said.
Graham Thorpe ‘spiralled into depression’ and had tried to take his own life in 2022 before he was hit by a train and killed at a railway station in Surrey last August.
Graham, 55, had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018, but his widow Amanda told the inquest into his death that her husband had ‘found lockdown and Covid very difficult, very stressful’.
In 2022, a leaked video of Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session between England and Australian cricket players was ‘blown out of all proportion’ and the fallout left Graham ‘distraught’.
Amanda said it was a ‘horrible’ time, and the later termination of his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was a ‘real shock to Graham’ and the ‘start of the decline of his mental health’.
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In a statement, Graham’s father Geoff said the video incident had ’caused catastrophic damage to him’ and ‘ultimately he lost his job’, then quickly ‘spiralled into depression’.
Graham tried to take his own life in 2022, which left him with a brain injury. He was in intensive care and spent time in a private hospital after being discharged.
After Christmas of 2023, Amanda said Graham was ‘in a terrible way’, and his last contact with those responsible for his psychiatric care was in June 2024.
In his statement read by the coroner, Geoff added: ‘You felt those who were responsible for Graham’s safety and care could’ve done more to intervene.’
Professor Nick Pierce, the ECB’s chief medical officer, said Graham’s private health insurance cover was extended for three months after his dismissal.
When ECB was told he had tried to take his own life, he said that ‘at no point during Graham’s time at ECB had there been any concern regarding a risk of self harm or intent to end life’.
The ECB’s healthcare board also agreed to help cover the cost of Graham’s hospital treatment.
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.
Thorpe was a mainstay in the England set-up for many years, first as a batter between 1993 and 2005 before spending 12 years in coaching roles.
During a distinguished international career, he struck 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats.
The inquest continues.
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