Michael Atherton hails late Graham Thorpe as 'England's best player' of the 90s

Former England captain Michael Atherton has paid a heartfelt tribute to his longtime teammate, Graham Thorpe, who recently passed away. Thorpe, a beloved figure in the cricket world, died on August 5 at the age of 55 after battling multiple illnesses for several years. The ECB confirmed his death in an official statement.

Atherton and Thorpe shared many years on the field together, and Atherton described Thorpe as both a fierce competitor and an empathetic teammate. Reflecting on their time together, Atherton shared memories of touring with Thorpe and the bond they formed.

"Friendships in sport are not quite like nine to five friendships. You don't clock in and clock off. You are with someone for three or four months on tour, so you get to know players exceptionally well. Myself and Graham toured Zimbabwe and Kenya with England A when I was 21, he was 20. He was there right at the end, my last tour in Pakistan, so he encapsulated the whole of my career really,” Atherton said.

Atherton praised Thorpe as England’s best player in the 1990s, highlighting his skill against both pace and spin bowlers. He fondly remembered Thorpe’s impressive performances against cricket legends Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.

“He was our best player in the 90s. He was our most complete player. He was brave and fearless against pace. He was highly skillful against spin - took hundreds off Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] and Shane Warne. Most of all, he was a fierce and unflinching competitor. If we were 20-2 first morning of a Test and you saw him coming out, you knew he was in for the fight," he further added.