At the inquest, coroner Jonathan Stevens determined that Graham Thorpe's sacking as England assistant coach two-and-a-half years before his death had a devastating effect on him as he had lost his cricket family. The dismissal came off the back of a disastrous Ashes tour in Australia, where England lost the Covid-affected series 4-0. According to Daily Mail - Sport, Henry Thorpe described spiraling into a really dark place after his father's death.
He left his job at M&C Saatchi Merlin, which was founded and chaired by Richard Thompson, the current chairman of the ECB. Henry Thorpe praised the support of Richard Thompson and his after-care following his father's suicide, which he admitted had inspired him to pursue a series of cricket coaching roles and businesses. Henry Thorpe has involvement in the Thorpey's Bat and Chat project, a wellbeing programme involving cricket sessions at the Oval, which is followed by chats about mental health.
I spiralled and was in a really dark place.
According to Daily Mail - Sport, Henry Thorpe described former England manager Gareth Southgate as an influential figure who replied to a LinkedIn message to offer advice and contacts. Graham Thorpe is survived by his second wife Amanda, whom he married in 2007, and four children, Henry, Amelia, Kitty and Emma. He separated from his first wife Nicola in 2001.
According to Daily Mail - Sport, Henry Thorpe described his relationship with his father as fractured at times due to the divorce of his parents. Graham Thorpe's work within cricket and move to Australia with his second wife Amanda meant the pair lacked a consistent relationship. Henry Thorpe revealed they had reconnected during his gap year in 2019 and reflected on a golden period in their relationship prior to the 2021-22 Ashes.
Gareth was at my dad's day at the Oval last summer. I wasn't having a great day, to be honest, it was a really tough day. I really wanted to talk to him but it just wasn't right. I was on edge.
I sent him a message on LinkedIn a couple of months later, not expecting him to ever see it. He wrote me an email of about 500 words. He was so kind in sharing his number and linking me up with other people that I've connected with since. From a leadership and a transformational culture perspective, he is a genuine hero of mine.
I’m a young man now and I need to understand different perspectives. I also need to be better at information gathering. And take more accountability for my own life, my own relationships. So that’s what kicked it all off positively.
Fractured.
Consistent relationship.