Graham Thorpe: Life to be celebrated during fifth England-India Test

The household of Graham Thorpe privation to "celebrate his memory" connected 'A Day for Thorpey' during England's 5th Test against India astatine The Oval.

Legendary England batter Thorpe took his ain beingness past twelvemonth aft a prolonged conflict with slump and anxiety. He was 55.

The erstwhile Surrey subordinate volition beryllium remembered connected the 2nd time of the 5th Test astatine the crushed wherever helium had a 17-year region career. That day, 1 August, would person been his 56th birthday.

In a motion to the trademark headband Thorpe wore portion batting, headbands designed by his woman Amanda and daughters Kitty and Emma volition beryllium sold to rise wealth for intelligence wellness foundation Mind.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Amanda said: "That time volition beryllium precise powerful. We privation to observe him and his memory. His airy was truthful bright. He'll spell on."

Kitty added: "Death and grief successful wide isn't talked astir enough, considering it happens to everyone. It surrounds us. When you adhd the furniture of decease by suicide, that makes it adjacent much taboo.

"I recognize it's hard to speech astir - radical don't privation to accidental the incorrect thing. That doesn't assistance tackle the stigma astir it. We request to alteration the mode we're addressing the topic. That's wherefore we're moving with Mind to bash thing to assistance that."

Thorpe famously became the archetypal England batter for 20 years to people a 100 connected their Test debut erstwhile helium reached 3 figures against Australia astatine Trent Bridge successful 1993.

A stylish left-hander, Thorpe would spell connected to go 1 of lone 17 men to scope 100 Test caps for England, scoring 6,744 runs astatine an mean of 44.66.

Following his playing career, helium held coaching roles with Surrey and England. He was portion of the England unit during the taxing 2021-22 Ashes successful Australia, played nether Covid restrictions. He was fto spell aft England mislaid that bid 4-0.

He was named caput manager of Afghanistan successful March of 2022, past made a archetypal effort connected his beingness successful May of the aforesaid year, subsequently spending a prolonged play successful intensive care.

"Working successful the Covid bubbles, helium recovered that tough," said Amanda. "He wasn't large astatine pursuing rules astatine the champion of times. He would crook up for a squad meal successful the incorrect clothes, that is if helium turned up astatine all.

"The past circuit helium did erstwhile helium was coaching, the Ashes, that was a truly hard circuit due to the fact that determination were inactive afloat Covid restrictions.

"It was each precise stressful and helium wasn't large connected that trip. Then helium came back, and, arsenic happens, his occupation ended, past helium got offered different job. It was hard for him, astir apt harder than we knew. He got a batch worse then, precise quickly, actually."

Thorpe died connected 4 August past year.

"It was intolerable not to announcement his spark and full property changed, implicit clip to astir unrecognisable," said Kitty. "It was atrocious to see. What started arsenic a intelligence unwellness turned into a carnal illness.

"Over 2 years helium aged astir 15 years. He looked truly weak. He recovered the astir easy, menial tasks truthful challenging, similar making a repast oregon walking the dog. He started struggling to adjacent bash that. He mislaid his strength.

"We tried galore antithetic treatments, but thing worked for him."

In the run-up to 'A Day for Thorpey', Amanda has visited 'Bat and Chat' successful Burton-upon-Trent - an inaugural from Mind designed to enactment intelligence wellness done cricket.

The sessions are to beryllium renamed 'Thorpey's Bat and Chat' and funds raised from the time astatine The Oval volition beryllium utilized to rotation them retired crossed the country.

"My dada was rather a backstage person, truthful for america to stock his and our acquisition is important to assistance different radical who person gone done akin things," said Emma.

"To commencement a conversation, to trim the shame and stigma determination are astir these conversations."

Kitty added: "Our cardinal connection is to talk up and scope retired for assistance aboriginal on. There is assistance retired there. It needs to beryllium spoken astir more.

"There are large charities similar Mind and galore more. Hopefully implicit clip this volition grow, determination volition beryllium much assistance and services. That's what we're raising wealth for."

If you're affected by immoderate of the issues successful this nonfiction you tin find details of organisations who tin assistance via the BBC Action Line.