Graham Thorpe Was The Unstarry Standout Of England’s Test Cricket Team - 5 minutes read
The factual headlines about the death of former England batsman Graham Thorpe at the age of 55 were stark. The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement on Monday portraying the emotion and hurt. "There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham's death. More than one of England's finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world,” read part of the ECB communication. There was no stuffiness or stiff upper lip from the organization. This hit hard although the last communique in May 2022 was that Thorpe was "seriously ill" and in hospital.
Thorpe was a class batsman, almost too good for the travails of the England team that he helped out of numerous holes in the 1990s and beyond. The Surrey star played 100 Tests overall, averaging more than 44. He accumulated excellent records against some of the most challenging attacks out there, scoring a century on debut against Allan Border’s tough-as-teak Australians. One of his last hurrahs was taking charge of the English team at Sydney during the treacherous Ashes tour of 2021/22 when first-team coach Chris Silverwood caught COVID. It was the only match the visitors didn't lose.
When England’s 'Dad’s Army', including the soon-to-be-retired Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, struggled to cope down under in the return series in 1994, it was twentysomething Thorpe who showed the requisite class and fight to repel Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and company. Despite a 3-1 series defeat, the left-hander accumulated 444 runs over the five Tests. His Test average against the old enemy was higher than his overall numbers. Australia knew that he was never going to give it away. Former Baggy Green skipper Ricky Ponting paid tribute, calling Thorpe England’s “best-ever batting technician.”
Ponting is right. There was something both captivating and efficient about the way Thorpe scored his runs. A couple of 70s stroked against the returning South Africans in 1994 were simply delicious, joyous and carefree. He smashed a double century off 231 balls in Christchurch in 2002. He was nobody’s bunny, although 'Stumpy' admitted that Shaun Pollock caused the most trouble by bowling so close to the wicket. England’s first series victory in Pakistan in 39 years was in no small part due to his 64 which was scored in the gathering gloom against a team in no rush to bowl.
Thorpe admitted that he was insular in his early days, trying to fight to the top of the game. His face had a kind of permanent worry attached to it, knowing that even the most fluid batsmanship was only one ball away from being impaled. He did the dirty work to survive when the time was right. The undefeated 113 he compiled against Sri Lanka over five-and-a-half hours in 2001 to clinch the series in Colombo was a perfect display of undiluted doggedness against an attack that spooked his teammates. His modus operandi as a batsman and coach was to work things out rather than rely on someone else doing the job. Responsibility rested with the individual to own the situation.
As a coach, Thorpe spent time in Australia with New South Wales, helping the more youthful versions of Steve Smith and David Warner elevate their games, before crossing back to England with the Lions and then being part of the team that won the World Cup in 2019.
CHESTER-LE-STREET, ENGLAND - JUNE 3: Graham Thorpe of England hits out during the 2nd Npower Test ... [+] match between England and Bangladesh at the Riverside Ground on June 3, 2005 in Chester-le-Street, England. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)Getty Images
The middle-order rock also had a great eye for talent and developing it. Some of his comments about players in formative years are eerily true. In a 2017 interview with ESPNcricinfo he talked about Ben Duckett, now flourishing under the Bazball banner, as someone with “a lovely attacking game". "You don't want to take that away from him. You just want him - if he plays Test cricket again - to be able to stay there for longer periods of time," added the coach who played at the Oval throughout his entire career.
The security of seeing Thorpe walk out to the crease was sometimes set against a sadder scene behind closed doors. His former captain Mike Atherton was direct in his analysis. "A happy, contented Graham Thorpe is a world-class player, his presence beneficial to any team. If something off the field is eating away at him, he cannot put it to the back of his mind and concentrate on his cricket,” read a passage in Atherton's autobiography. There were marital issues at play during one period but he came back to the team refreshed and ready in his 'dotage'. The runs flew off the bat until he was retired by the English selectors who were looking for a new brand against the touring Australians in 2005. Kevin Pietersen took his chance.
The tributes to Thorpe unanimously paint a picture of a great man as well as a superb player. The gritty art he displayed on the pitch appealed to allcomers and all nations.
Source: Forbes
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