Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe died after being struck by train, as per inquest

As the cricketing world continues to mourn the death of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe, the opening of an inquest confirmed the mode of his death. Thorpe died after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey says the opening of the inquest into his death has heard.

In an interview with the Times yesterday, his wife Amanda revealed that the former cricketer 'took his own life' upon dealing with depression and anxiety. Thorpe had been dealing with serious illness since 2022.

She said:

"Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health. But mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone. Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life."

Ahead of the inquest, British transport police said as quoted by the Mirror:

"Officers were called to Esher railway station at 8.26am on 4 August to reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is not being treated as suspicious."

Area Coroner Simon Wickens at Surrey Coroner's Court offered his "sincere condolences" to the Thorpe family and to "all those touched by his life and career".

Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released a statement on Thorpe's death on the morning of August 5.

Graham Thorpe enjoyed an illustrious international career for England

Graham Thorpe remains one of England's most accomplished batters, especially in the Test format.

The 55-year-old is 15th all-time among leading Test scorers for England with 6,744 runs at an average of 44.66 in 100 outings. Thorpe also amassed 2,380 runs in ODIs at an average of over 37 in 82 games.

This apart, the southpaw also enjoyed a stellar domestic career, with almost 33,000 runs in first-class and List-A cricket.

Thorpe debuted for England against Australia in 1993 and finished his stellar international career in 2005. Following his playing days, he became England's assistant and batting coach, including taking over as interim head coach for the Pakistan T20Is in 2020 and the penultimate Test of the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Thorpe was announced as Afghanistan's head coach in March 2022 but could not start due to serious illness.