[Watch] Players and officials observe a minute's silence in honor of Graham Thorpe before Men's Hundred 2024 clash
On one of the saddest days in English and world cricket, the players and the officials observed a minute's silence in honor of former cricketer Graham Thorpe, who tragically died earlier on August 5.
With the Men's and Women's clash between Southern Brave and Welsh Fire played at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, all the players and the crowd gathered stood in unison to mourn the death of one of England's all-time greats.
The 55-year-old was battling a serious illness from 2022 shortly after he was appointed Afghanistan's head coach, thanks to his impressive run as batting and assistant coach for England. Thorpe could not perform the role for Afghanistan due to his illness.
Here is the video shared by the Sky Sports Cricket Social Media handle with everyone at Sophia Gardens observing a minute's silence in honor of Graham Thorpe:
Thorpe enjoyed an illustrious playing career for England, scoring over 9,000 runs with 16 centuries across the two formats (Tests and ODIs). The southpaw also amassed almost 21,000 first-class and over 10,000 List-A runs with an incredible 58 centuries.
Thorpe smashed a century on his Test debut in the Nottingham match of the 1993 Ashes series and captained England in three ODIs in 2001. While his ODI career was stellar in its own right, Thorpe was considered among the best batters in the red-ball format in the 1990s and early 2000s.
He is the 15th leading run-scorer for England with over 6,700 runs at an excellent average of 44.66 in 100 games.
Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar pays tribute to Graham Thorpe
Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar took to his social media handle to pay tribute to Graham Thorpe hours after the latter's death.
The duo faced each other several times during India-England clashes in the 1990s and early 2000s. Thorpe averaged 35.37 in 5 Tests against India and 36.44 in 11 ODIs against them.
Tendulkar posted on his X handle:
"It's extremely sad to learn that Graham Thorpe is no longer with us. His reputation as a naturally gifted, free-flowing batter who played fearlessly and with flair, always stood out. Sending my heartfelt condolences to his family and close ones. Rest in peace, Graham."
Thorpe also showcased his ability to perform on the big stage, evidenced by his incredible average of 54.14 in 11 outings in ODI World Cups.
Apart from Tendulkar, several former cricketers, including Wasim Akram, Kumar Sangakkara, and Waqar Younis, among others paid tribute to Thorpe on social media.