Former England and Surrey batsman Graham Thorpe has died aged 55.

Thorpe played 100 Test matches for England between 1993 and 2005 – scoring 6,744 runs with an average of 44.66, which included 16 centuries – and was regarded as one of the finest batsmen of his era. 

He also featured in 82 one-day internationals and was a member of the squad for the 1996 and 1999 World Cup campaigns. He captained England three times.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced the news of Thorpe’s passing on Monday, after battling illness since 2022.

An ECB statement said: “There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death.

“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.

“His skill was unquestioned, and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his team-mates and England and Surrey CCC supporters alike.

“Later, as a coach, he guided the best England men’s talent to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.

“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.

“We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.”

England captain Ben Stokes showed his support for Thorpe during his first toss as captain in 2022 after the former star fell seriously ill in hospital.

Thorpe represented Surrey for 17 years and played ​​189 first-class matches from 1988 to his retirement in 2005.

A left-handed batsman, ‘Thorpy’ scored 49 first-class centuries for Surrey and averaged 45.04.

Following a successful playing career, Thorpe transitioned to coaching in various roles between between 2010 and 2022.

He rejoined the England set-up as a white ball batting coach in 2013 and became Chris Silverwood’s assistant coach in 2019.

He was promoted to interim head coach for the T20 series against Pakistan, which England won 2-1, and also oversaw the 2021/22 Ashes series.