Suicide in the sporting afterlife: lessons from the passing of Graham Thorpe

Abstract

Graham Thorpe played in 100 Test matches for the England national cricket team, with his last being in 2005. He scored 16 centuries within this form of the game and subsequently went on to coach within elite-level cricket in the years that followed.1 Sadly, Graham died by suicide, aged 55 years, in August 2024.2 Family, friends and many former teammates expressed their sorrow through the media around his passing and spoke fondly of their time spent with him. Suicide rates for men in England and Wales within late middle life continue to be relatively higher when compared with that of other stages of life and sex.3 Previous concerns with regard to a high death rate by suicide within retired or currently playing elite-level cricketers have largely been debunked.4 So why is it necessary to comment on the death of Graham? Within this editorial, we aim to explore issues of suicide and retirement from competitive sport while also providing suggestions on how learning and prevention can be maximised ‘sport-wide’. When a sports star dies suddenly, there is often speculation of cause of death. Thereafter, attribution can be made of sport-specific factors such as performance level or career transitions, contributing to eventual mortality outcome—often without scientific medical evidence. Factual reporting can be influenced by fear that …