(Reuters) – Former England cricketer and coach Graham Thorpe has died at the age of 55, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday.

Thorpe played 100 test matches and 82 one-day internationals between 1993 and 2005, scoring 16 test centuries. He served as England’s batting coach and assistant coach before stepping down in February 2022 after a 4-0 loss in the Ashes.

He was appointed as Afghanistan’s head coach in March 2022, but was hospitalised with a serious illness before he could join the team.

“There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death,” the ECB posted on X. “More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world.

“The cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time.”

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by David Holmes)