England and Surrey will pay tribute to late batting great Graham Thorpe on the second day of the Oval Test, which also marks his birthday.
A Surrey legend, Thorpe spent his entire first-class career with the county, with The Oval his home ground. As part of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, a special initiative named ‘Day for Thorpey’ will honor him and raise awareness around mental health—an issue Thorpe battled privately before his tragic death in 2023 at age 55.
The event will promote open conversations about mental health and support the charity Mind, along with Thorpey’s Bat and Chat, an initiative providing cricket-based mental health support.
Thorpe’s iconic headband will be sold, designed in consultation with his wife Amanda and daughters Kitty and Emma, with proceeds going to these charities.
Amanda expressed her excitement, saying, “We want to celebrate him and remember his light.” Daughter Kitty hopes it sparks open discussions about mental health and suicide, breaking the stigma.
Thorpe was England’s middle-order backbone through the ‘90s and early 2000s, scoring over 6,700 Test runs with 16 centuries across 100 Tests. He played key roles in Ashes series, overseas tours, and World Cups, ranking among the top batters of his era.
After retiring, Thorpe coached in Australia and England, contributing to the 2019 World Cup-winning side. His impact on players like Joe Root remains significant.
In 2022, Thorpe was appointed Afghanistan’s head coach but stepped away due to illness—a battle he, sadly, never overcame.
