Even Graham Thorpe, one of the great England cricketers, succumbed to the most hellish mental health trials. Unfortunately, these struggles would culminate in his tragic death on August 4, 2024. Thorpe’s devotion to the cause Thorpe gave his whole first-class playing career to Surrey. From 1993 to 2005 he played a remarkable 100 Test matches and 82 one day internationals for England. His future cricket career looked bright, until a series of corrosive personal and professional failures drove him into a depression.
In 2018, Dr. Joan Munnelly, primary care physician, diagnosed Thorpe with anxiety and depression. At first, he was able to stay on top of the disease — despite going through a crippling episode of depression that year. His unexpected dismissal from a job training young batters with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2022 flipped the script. That role was a huge pivotal moment in his career. His dismissal from this role was compounded by an incident involving a leaked video during a drinking session with players from England and Australia, leaving him distraught.
The ensuing fallout from that video incident took a massive toll on Thorpe’s mental health. The challenges proved to be insurmountable and he attempted suicide in late 2022. As a result of this unfortunate maneuver, she suffered a traumatic brain injury subsequently requiring treatment in an intensive care facility. By the end of 2023, his mental condition had greatly deteriorated. News articles in January suggested that he was “in a very bad shape” and even having suicidal thoughts following Christmas.
Thorpe’s private health insurance was recently scheduled to continue until May 2023. After his job was eliminated in February 2022, his lack of access to psychiatric care would be overwhelming. The last recorded communication between him and his care providers was in June 2023.
With great sadness, we report the fatal accident that took the life of Graham Thorpe. He was hit by a freight train while waiting for crossings to clear. His widow, Amanda Thorpe, said that he committed suicide. She wanted the Courier to know the immense toll his mental health crisis had taken on him.
Coroner Jonathan Stevens highlighted the failures in Thorpe’s care during the inquest into his death, stating, “You felt those who were responsible for Graham’s safety and care could’ve done more to intervene.”
Mrs. Thorpe described the time leading up to her husband’s death as a nightmare. Finally, she described his ECB dismissal as the first major, traumatic event that pushed down his mental health.
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