The Heartbreaking Truth About Graham Thorpe's Final Months

By Lewis Barnett 24 July, 2025 5 mins read 245 Views

God, this one hits different.

I've covered plenty of cricket stories over the years, but sitting in that Surrey courtroom listening to the details of Graham Thorpe's final weeks... honestly, I had to step outside twice. The man who once smashed centuries against Australia's best bowlers had been reduced to telling his wife he "didn't see the point of being here anymore."

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When Heroes Crumble

The inquest revealed something that'll stick with me for months. Back in June 2024, Thorpe told his care coordinator Katie Johnson he "hadn't been out for a while" and flat-out said he "didn't see the point of being here." But here's the kicker - his psychiatrist, Dr. Amirthalingam Baheerathan, didn't classify him as an "imminent risk."

Think about that for a second.

A man who'd already attempted suicide in 2022 is essentially telling medical professionals he's lost hope, and somehow that doesn't trigger immediate intervention. Dr. Baheerathan hadn't even seen Thorpe for 19 weeks before he died on August 4th last year. Nineteen weeks. That's nearly five months of radio silence with someone battling severe depression and anxiety.

The Video That Destroyed Everything

Here's where it gets really messy. Remember that viral video from the 2021-22 Ashes tour? The one showing Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session with England and Australia players after we got absolutely demolished 4-0? That footage leak didn't just embarrass the ECB - it ended Thorpe's coaching career and, arguably, started his final spiral.

His wife Amanda put it perfectly in court: "To be sacked after that I think it was foreseeable that it would be really really hard on him." No kidding. The man goes from coaching England's batting lineup to being unemployed because of some leaked party footage. Poor Graham never stood a chance after that humiliation.

The dismissal hit him so hard he ended up hospitalized for eight weeks following his 2022 suicide attempt. Eight weeks. And apparently, according to Amanda, "he never really recovered from that attempt."

Switzerland and Desperate Pleas

This part absolutely wrecked me. In his final weeks, Thorpe begged Amanda to help him die. Actually begged her. He even mentioned wanting to go to Switzerland - you know what that means. Amanda told the court she was "in turmoil" hearing these pleas from the man she loved.

Can you imagine? Your husband, this cricket legend who once scored centuries at Lord's, is literally asking you to help end his suffering. The same hands that held a bat with such grace were now reaching out in complete desperation.

By June 2024, he'd lost interest in food entirely. Amanda described him as wanting to "hide away, totally isolated, in real crisis and despair." The court heard he was making repeated threats to kill himself.

That Final Morning

August 4th started like any other day, I suppose. Amanda thought Graham had gone out to walk their dog. But then she saw the dog was still home. That's when the panic set in.

She tried calling him. No answer.

Then Thorpe's father called with just two words: "He's gone."

Jesus.

The Man Behind the Stats

Look, everyone knows Thorpe's cricket resume. 100 Tests, 16 centuries, that incredible debut Ashes hundred in 1993 - first England player to do that in 20 years. Seventeen seasons with Surrey. The guy was genuinely world-class with a bat in his hands.

But those numbers feel hollow now, don't they? Behind all that success was someone struggling with mental health issues that got exponentially worse during Covid lockdowns (Amanda said he found them "very difficult" and "stressful") and then completely spiraled after that coaching dismissal.

The assistant coroner, Jonathan Stevens, summed it up brutally: "Things continued to go downhill, he was really struggling, had anxiety and insomnia and it was all really dark."

What We're Left With

The inquest continues, but honestly? We already know enough. A cricket hero fell through the cracks of a mental health system that somehow missed multiple red flags. Missed appointments, explicit statements about not wanting to be alive, previous suicide attempts - and still no immediate intervention.

I keep thinking about Amanda's words: he "wanted to hide away, totally isolated." That's not just depression talking - that's someone who'd given up entirely.

The Samaritans number is 116123 if you need it. Please use it.

Some battles can't be won with technique and timing. Sometimes even the most talented people need help that never comes in time.

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How To

How to understand cricket bat grains

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Did you miss our previous article...
https://sportingexcitement.com/cricket/crickets-cruelest-moment-when-pants-own-shot-turned-against-him-at-old-trafford