Graham Thorpe’s widow has claimed that the England cricket icon would still be alive if he had been offered more support by the England and Wales Cricket Board after his sacking. Thorpe played for England between 1993 and 2005 before coaching for the EBC from 2009 to 2022. But he was dismissed as England’s batting coach in February 2022.

Thorpe struggled with depression and anxiety in the aftermath of his England departure and took his own life in August 2024 at the age of 55. The inquest found that he died after being struck by a train in Surrey. And Coroner Jonathan Stevens said the termination of his EBC contract “had a devastating effect on him” because he “had lost his cricket family”.

Thorpe’s widow Amanda opened up on his passing during an interview with talkSPORT and stated that had he been offered ways of staying connected to England cricket after his exit, “it is really clear that he would still be alive”.

She added: “If he’d had just a little bit of the support framework there to lean on a bit to just transition a bit more, it would have made all the difference.”

While still working for England, Thorpe had been filmed mocking police officers in Australia, who had disbanded a group of players and coaches due to Covid restrictions.

Amanda explained that her late husband “was really teetering on the edge on that tour” and had been “absolutely gutted” by the incident.

And she acknowledged: “He went round on the flight back and apologised personally to every person on that tour.”

Thorpe had received mental health treatment for 18 months before he left England, with the EBC providing continued care following his departure.

The former England player was given online counselling sessions after the EBC extended his employee medical insurance, but his wife described these as “woeful”.

And she added: “As he went through these sessions, it was clear that he wasn’t coping. He was getting worse. We really did ask for help. I knew he needed more help than that. And, it wasn’t forthcoming.”

Six sessions into the course, Thorpe attempted to end his life and spent two weeks in intensive care. The ECB then funded a four-week stay in a hospital for neuro-rehabilitation.

Amanda also revealed that Thorpe had then been given the opportunity to discuss a scouting role with the ECB. But she insisted: “It was too late, basically, after the crisis (in May 2022), he was very ill. He nearly lost his life. He had a stroke. We don’t know how that affected his brain after that.”

At the inquest, Mr Stevens said that “shortcomings” had been made by health professionals in the lead up to Thorpe’s death.

But the Coroner said he could not “find any criticism in the ECB’s decision to terminate his contract” and acknowledged that the ECB had “funded treatment, hospital stays and extended his health treatment insurance”.

In a statement, an ECB spokesperson described Graham as “a deeply admired and much-loved person”.

And they said: “His loss has been felt deeply across the cricketing community and far beyond, and our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with his wife Amanda, his children, and all those who loved him.

“Graham’s passing is a heart-breaking reminder of the challenges many face with mental health. His death was examined by a Coroner – the inquest was held earlier this year with full support from the ECB.

“We have met with Amanda to discuss her concerns and have been in regular contact with her and the wider family.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory: https://hubofhope.co.uk/. You can call the Samaritans free at any time from any phone on 116 123. Lines are open 24 hours a day. You can also email jo@samaritans.org