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Joe Root scored his thirty ninth Test century, paying tribute to Graham Thorpe, who died by suicide. Root wore a bandana in Thorpe’s style, highlighting mental health issues in cricket.
Joe Root paid tribute to Graham Thorpe after reaching his thirty ninth Test century (AP)
On Sunday, seasoned England batter Joe Root scored his thirty ninth Test century and paid tribute to former England batter Graham Thorpe, who died by suicide on August 4, 2024. Root honoured Thorpe, whose birth anniversary was two days prior, by wearing a bandana in his style on the fourth day of the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval.
Root anchored England’s second innings and established an important partnership with Harry Brook. Together, they shared a 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Root reached his century with a double within the sixtieth over, bowled by Akash Deep. He achieved his hundred off 137 balls, hitting 12 fours.
What particularly caught the attention and earned appreciation from England fans was his tribute after reaching the century. Root kissed the badge on his helmet, raised his bat to acknowledge the group’s applause, then donned the ‘Graham Thorpe headband’ and pointed skyward.
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Who Is Graham Thorpe?
Thorpe was a premier batsman for England in each red-ball and white-ball cricket from the mid-90s until 2005 when he retired. He served because the batting coach for the England Test team until he was dismissed, together with other support staff, following England’s 0-4 defeat within the Ashes series of 2021-22.
Thorpe, aged 55, died by suicide by stepping in front of a train. His family publicly disclosed that he had been fighting mental health issues to lift awareness.
By paying tribute to Thorpe upon completing his century, Root has brought attention to the mental health issues increasingly affecting cricketers attributable to the demanding lifestyle and various formats of the modern-day game.
The left-handed batsman, who spent his entire skilled profession in south London with Surrey, scored 6,744 Test runs at a median of 44.66 in 100 matches from 1993 to 2005.
Thorpe later held various coaching positions, including a job as England’s batting coach, where he worked with current players akin to Test captain Ben Stokes and Root.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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