The former England cricketer Graham Thorpe died after being struck by a train at Esher railway station in Surrey, an inquest has heard. The 55-year-old suffered multiple injuries in the incident on the morning of 4 August, Surrey coroner's court in Woking was told on Tuesday.
Area coroner Simon Wickens recorded the cause of death as multiple injuries. He offered condolences to Thorpe's family and to all those touched by his life and career. A date for the full inquest will be set later. The British Transport Police had referred the case to the coroner, stating that the incident was not being treated as suspicious.
Thorpe's wife, Amanda, revealed on Monday that he took his own life. She told The Times that he had attempted suicide two years ago. 'Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health,' she said. 'But mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone.'
Thorpe's daughter Kitty said the family 'are not ashamed' of talking about his death, adding: 'There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma.' Thorpe, a mainstay in the England set-up as a batter from 1993 to 2005 and later as a coach, was admitted to hospital in May 2022 and declared 'seriously ill'.
During his international career, Thorpe scored 16 Test hundreds for England, including a debut century against Australia in 1993, and represented his country 182 times across all formats. Current players Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Ben Duckett paid tribute to him, while former England bowler Stuart Broad described him as a 'wonderful person'.
