LONDON (AP) — Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe took his own life after suffering from depression and anxiety, his wife Amanda said on Monday.
Tributes poured in last week after it was announced that Thorpe had died at the age of 55.
Amanda Thorpe has now told The Times newspaper: “For the past couple of years Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety. This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit.
“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. We are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.
“Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work.
“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.”
Thorpe was a mainstay in the England set-up for the majority of his life, first as a batter between 1993 and 2005 and then for 12 years in various coaching roles.
A stylish and fluid top-order batter, Thorpe played 100 tests for England. He scored 16 hundreds, including on debut against Australia at Trent Bridge.
His 6,744 runs came at a sterling average of 44.66 at a time when England was struggling. But the gritty, left-handed Thorpe was key to his country’s gradual improvement. He was also capped 82 times in one-day internationals for 2,380 runs.
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FILE -England's coach Graham Thorpe arrives for their training session at the Gabba ahead of the first Ashes cricket test in Brisbane, Australia, Dec. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard, File)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom struck out five over three innings Friday night in his first home start for the Texas Rangers in nearly 17 months after his recovery from elbow surgery.
The only run deGrom allowed was when Seattle's No. 9 batter, Josh Rojas, led off the third with a homer. Texas was down when he exited, then went ahead briefly before the AL wild card-chasing Mariners went on to an 8-2 victory.
A week after throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his season debut on the road, also against the Mariners, deGrom threw 37 of 58 pitches for strikes and had one walk.
“Definitely felt better than my first one. I think maybe a little bit less nerves, worked on some things in between,” said deGrom, who will get one more start this season. “It’s little things that I’ve got to continue to work on, but my arm felt good and that was the most important thing.”
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had said the 36-year-old right-hander would throw about 60 pitches.
Rookie right-hander Jake Leiter replaced deGrom to start the fourth, and gave up seven runs (six earned) over five innings.
It was the first start at home for deGrom since he left in the middle of the fourth inning against the New York Yankees on April 28, 2023. That was the sixth and last start in the first season of his $185 million, five-year contract.
This was his only start this season at Globe Life Field. The Rangers finish the season on the road next week at Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels, and deGrom said his goal in his final start is to get to five innings and around 75 pitches.
“Tonight I wanted to at least get four or five innings, but three 20-pitch innings isn’t ideal,” he said. “So try to be a little bit more efficient and try to get up there or go out there for a fifth would be the goal.”
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) fist bumps catcher Jonah Heim (28) as they walk back to the dugout in the first inning in a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
