Former England batsman Graham Thorpe died after being struck by a train at a railway station, an inquest into his death heard Tuesday. The 55-year-old took his own life, his wife Amanda revealed on Monday in an interview with The Times. Thorpe died on the morning of August 4 having suffered “traumatic injuries” during the incident at Esher railway station, southwest of London, Surrey Coroner’s Court in Woking was told. The area coroner for Surrey, Simon Wickens, recorded Thorpe’s cause of death as one of multiple injuries during the short hearing. The coroner offered his “sincere condolences” not just to Thorpe’s family, but to “all those touched by his life and career”.
A date for the full inquest will be fixed at a later time.
Thorpe’s death plunged the cricket world into mourning for the popular star.
He enjoyed an impressive England career as an elegant batsman from 1993 to 2005, before spending 12 years in various coaching roles.
But Thorpe was hospitalised in May 2022 and declared “seriously ill”.
Amanda Thorpe told The Times that the former Surrey batsman attempted suicide two years ago before taking his own life.
“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,” she said.
Amanda Thorpe added: “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.
Thorpe’s daughter Kitty, 22, said the family “are not ashamed” of talking about his death, adding: “There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma.”
The left-hander featured in 100 Test matches and 82 one-day internationals for England, scoring over 9,000 runs for his country, including 16 Test hundreds.
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